Foot-and-Mouth Disease Spreads to 49 Farms in Southern Cyprus: Over 28,000 Animals Culled

According to the Greek Cypriot newspaper Haravgi, the new cases were identified in the Dromolaksia-Meneu (Mormenekşe-Menevi) area, highlighting the growing scale of the outbreak. Authorities are following European Commission guidelines, continuing contact tracing, sample collection, laboratory testing, culling, and vaccination campaigns. However, culling operations in Larnaca have faced difficulties due to rainy weather.

To date, around 26,800 small ruminants and 1,742 cattle have been culled. The report noted that 98% of small ruminants and 72% of cattle on affected farms have been vaccinated. Southern Cyprus currently has limited supplies for second-dose vaccinations, but an additional 500,000 doses are expected by early April.

Meanwhile, Politis reported that 5.5% of the livestock population—excluding pigs—has already been lost due to the outbreak. Authorities are consulting on measures to prevent red meat shortages ahead of Easter, including sourcing meat from farms not affected by the disease.