No new cases of foot-and-mouth disease have been detected at this stage, the spokeswoman of the Veterinary Services, Sotiria Georgiadou, said on Friday, describing the picture that has been formed so far as positive. As she mentioned, the competent services continue sampling and tracing on a nationwide basis, in the context of monitoring the situation and implementing the planned measures.
She added that the second dose of vaccine has started in cattle, sheep and goats, while the first dose has been completed in 98% of cattle and 65% of sheep and goats.
The killing of animals in small units in Livadia is in progress and they hope to be completed within the day, said Ms. Georgiadou, while in Dali the killing of the animals has been completed and the ditch is closing.
She also stated that the slaughters have reached 20.000 in sheep and goats and are expected to become 25.000, while the slaughters in cattle are about 1200 and have been completed.
The spokeswoman of the Veterinary Services said that the situation is calm and the people are cooperative and "I hope that we will remain at this level despite all yesterday's and the day before yesterday's reactions".
Answering questions, Ms. Georgiadou said that today they proceeded normally to the points where the people were cooperative, saying that they had no reactions because they did not go where the reactions were. "Because we want to manage it in a calm way. There is no reason for there to be tensions. The job has to be done. Both epidemiological sampling and sampling due to tracing," she said
It is the legal obligation of Cyprus, she said, and to the EU to go ahead and show the extent of the problem so that they can contain the disease. "We have to do it so that we know where we stand. Both we and the European Commission. Because, as we said, many times we give reports." She said that the European Commission monitors the publications every day and "it is not just what we want to do".
Asked when they will return to the places where there are reactions, she replied that she hopes that this will happen "within the weekend or from Monday".
Asked about the notifications for animal killings in the evening of the previous day, Ms. Georgiadou said that the breeders in the province of Larnaca who had infected units in the province of Larnaca were informed from the first moment with forms, spoke with officials of the District Office of Veterinary Services in Larnaca, she spoke with them as well as the Minister of Agriculture "about what needs to be done, how it will happen, when it will happen, what will happen, what will happen the next day."
There was, she continued, a pause in slaughters in sheep and goats due to reactions, but in cows the slaughter continued, especially in those that had clinical symptoms. "And then the situation regrouped and we started again." The specific breeders, she said, were waiting.
Regarding red cows, she said that there are around 52 units nationwide with such cows, but all cows will be vaccinated, not just this species.
Regarding the vaccination of pigs, she said that they are waiting for the vaccines at the end of the month and will start, adding that the sampling in the pigsties has been done and these units are closed, entry and exit are prohibited.
Regarding the cooperation with the Police, Ms. Georgiadou said that the supervision of the measures continues in all 81 checkpoints where there are wheeled baths with hours from 5 in the morning to 7 in the evening. Only cattle breeders or sheep breeders or anyone else who has to do with the animals of the specific area only are allowed to enter the areas, she said.
Asked if she knew of two complaints from livestock farmers to the Police, Ms. Georgiadou answered in the negative.
