Vaccinations of animals begin as fight against foot and mouth continues

Vaccinations of livestock against foot and mouth disease have begun, with Cyprus continuing to battle an outbreak of the disease.

The veterinary services department said that the first animals, cattle in the Larnaca district village of Aradippou, were vaccinated on Wednesday, with a total of 10,000 doses of the vaccine having been donated by the Turkish Cypriot authorities.

It added that another 50,000 doses are expected to be received within the day, with the Turkish Cypriot authorities having said Wednesday that they will a further 10,000 doses “in the coming days”.

As well as vaccinations, the department said that it is continuing to test livestock in the region for the disease, and that “the burial and killing of animals in the units where positive cases have been identified is continuing”.

On the matter of the burial of animals, it said that sites for this purpose have been found following consultation with various other government services, including the water development department and the agriculture department.

These sites, it said, were determined “based on specific specifications”.

It also said that instructions have been given by Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou for a compensation and support package to be drawn up for stakeholders whose livelihoods have been impacted by the outbreak.

On this front, the government had confirmed on Wednesday that a total of €4.5 million had been allocated to help impacted farmers.

Panayiotou, meanwhile, said that “no one will be left behind” as the government attempts to combat the disease, adding, “the government stands absolutely alongside producers, alongside the people of the countryside”.

To this end, she said she is in “continuous and direct” contact with stakeholders, and in “constant collaboration with scientific experts and European institutions”, so as to ensure that “both the vaccination process and the other measures are based on scientific documentation and the best European practices”.

She also made reference to the existence of the coordination centre and the control and disinfection points which are now scattered around the Larnaca district, and said that a meeting has been held “with the aim of determining the strategy to be followed” for the vaccination of livestock.