FOOT AND MOUTH - ESTIMATE OF A THREE-DIGIT NUMBER OF INFECTED UNITS - NEW MEASURES ON THE TABLE - 34,000 ANIMALS KILLED - Filenews 17/4
Cases of foot-and-mouth disease have been detected in seven other livestock units and the estimate is that with mathematical precision "we will reach a three-digit" number of units, said the Spokesperson of the Veterinary Services Sotiria Georgiadou on Thursday, expressing concern about the case in a pigsty outside infected areas and noting that stricter measures are being discussed.
Ms. Georgiadou stated that new cases were detected in "two sheep and goat units and one cattle unit in Dromolaxia-Meneou, three sheep and goat units in Geri and one sheep and goat unit in Athienou", noting that "in total, today's are seven".
With these new data, the positive units amounted to 92, of which 91 are in the already known infected zones of Larnaca and Nicosia, while the new case concerns the pigsty in Paliometocho, which was announced on Wednesday, he noted.
As stated by the Representative of the Veterinary Services, this is a unit with a capacity of 4.000 pigs, close to two other pig farms and a sheep and goat unit, for which "the procedures have begun, as you understand, to find the piece, to open the ditch, to make the assessment and to do the killing".
Ms. Georgiadou said that this new case is particularly worrying, as "it was not expected to be found in a pigsty outside the zones", adding that "the surprise was how it was found there".
"Investigations are being carried out, evidence is being obtained and answers are being given by all those involved, so that we can also understand how they found themselves in the area west of Nicosia," he stressed.
Asked whether new measures will be taken, she said that "stricter measures are possibly being discussed, to see how it can be contained", adding that "there are various stages that we think should be tightened" and that relevant decisions are expected "probably tomorrow or the day after tomorrow".
In relation to the new outbreak, he said that the Police were immediately informed "to put blockades and disinfection points", while noting that "the three units are isolated, anyway". He added that, because the three units are in the same area and of the same family, "epidemiologically we now consider them one unit".
Answering questions, the Spokesperson of the Veterinary Services stated that "pigs secrete the virus much more than sheep, goats or cattle" and that is why "our mobilization is immediate". As he said, "all our energy will now go to this pigsty, so that we can immediately, as quickly as possible, to kill these pigs."
Asked to comment on whether the spread of the virus constitutes a failure, Ms. Georgiadou said that "it is not a failure", placing the main responsibility on the human factor. "The human factor, the objects, the machinery, the clothes, the shoes, the movements, all this puts all livestock farmers at risk," he said, underlining that "stand-still is very important".
At the same time, he noted that a total of "around 33 to 34,000 animals, sheep, goats and cattle combined" have been killed so far, not counting the 4,000 pigs of the pig farm in Paliometocho and the animals from the new positive units.
Regarding vaccinations, he said that the second dose in cattle has reached 73.5% of the animal population, in sheep and goats at 56.3%, while in pig farms of the two hitherto infected zones at 84%. He clarified that these percentages concern Nicosia and Larnaca and not the new area in Paliometocho.
He also said that the compensation procedures and the preparation of files for the affected livestock farmers continue, while special committees have already been designated for the maximum compensation prices for sheep, goats, cattle and pigs.
Referring to the course of the epidemiological picture, Ms. Georgiadou said that "with mathematical precision I think we will reach a three-digit number", clarifying, however, that panic should not be caused, as most of the positive units are small. As he said, the losses remain "in a manageable condition", around 2.6% in cattle and about 6.4% in sheep and goats.
Finally, he said that the European Commission has set a milestone for reviewing the situation in May, adding that it is not yet clear whether the new case in a pig farm will affect the European attitude, noting, however, that "we are closed anyway".
