The Veterinary Services delivered the first vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease in pigs to the private veterinarians of the pig farms, who started the first phase of the extensive vaccination program. With the aim of shielding livestock and limiting the spread of the virus, the Republic of Cyprus prefers the creation of a strong wall of immunity, choosing the path of a free country with vaccination.
After the vaccination program to an advanced degree in cows, sheep and goats, the start of the program is also given to the pig farms of Aradippou, which is the epicenter of the infected zone. According to the plan, about 50,000 pigs located within the 10km zone will be vaccinated. from the Aradippou homes.
The program will then be transferred to the infected area of Nicosia (Geri and Dali), where about 20,000 animals are expected to be vaccinated.
The process will be extended on a nationwide basis, with the total number of vaccinated pigs estimated at 320,000. It is noted that animals that are to be directly slaughtered are strictly excluded from the process.
The emergence of the virus in Turkey last May, its jump to the occupied territories in December and finally the cases in the free areas in February, created new data. Cyprus had two options before it, having killed 30,493 animals in 50 infected units in Larnaca and Nicosia.
◗ Free country without vaccination: Requires the killing or slaughter of any animal that has come into contact with the virus or has been vaccinated.
◗ Vaccination-free country: Allows the preservation of livestock, provided that strict controls and sampling prove the absence of the virus.
Sotiria Georgiadou, a spokeswoman for the Veterinary Services, was clear: "No, we will not kill the vaccinated animals." The option of vaccination was considered a one-way street, given the presence of the virus in the occupied territories. Without joint management on both sides of the Green Line, the non-use of vaccines would endanger the entire animal population of the island.
However, the transition to the "vaccination-free country" regime brings with it trade challenges where restrictions on exports of fresh meat and unprocessed animal products may remain. Already, the pork export market to Greece has been lost and efforts are being made to find a new market in a third country.
Products that undergo heat treatment (baking), such as halloumi, are not affected and their exports will continue normally. "Vaccination is protective and not suppressive. It is applied precisely to save the largest possible part of the animal population", emphasize the Veterinary Services.
Despite the start of vaccinations, biosecurity measures remain at their zenith. In the infected areas, disinfections are continuous and the movement of animals is strictly prohibited. At the same time, epidemiological investigations and tracing continue throughout Cyprus, with the results so far all negative, which allows for cautious optimism.
Finally, the green light was given for the reopening of the units in Pergamon, operating in the Dead Zone and the British Dhekelia Bases, as the administrative controls were successfully completed, allowing their products to be placed on the market. As a result, these plants can place their products on the market. Essentially, a program has been drawn up for the receipt of milk by a designated transport vehicle accompanied by staff of the Veterinary Services.
