Cyprus Vet Service trying to prevent spread of NDV

The Veterinary Services are making efforts, using all means at their disposal, to confine the contagious Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) so that it does not spread to other districts in the southern government-controlled areas of Cyprus, Vet Services Director Giorgos Kyriakides has said.

He added that on Tuesday they also identified the disease at several premises which belong to one of the three farms in which poultry were killed during the previous days, and therefore they proceed to kill the poultry at these premises as well. He said that the poultry to be killed today are approximately 60-70 thousand.

Kyriakides warned about seeing the disease spread throughout Cyprus, since it is transmitted through the air and the birds. “This is why we are taking restrictive measures and we are carrying out disinfections of vehicles, equipment, feed and staff,” he noted.

In statements after a meeting he had with Poultry Farmers Association, Kyriakides noted that they informed poultry farmers about the new developments in this issue and the measures to be taken from now on.

He also clarified that the premises in which the NDV was spotted were in Kokkinotrimithia area and not Mammari, both in Nicosia district.

Asked about the source of this virus, Kyriakides said that its genetic code is similar to that in Cyprus’ Turkish occupied areas and in Turkey.

He recalled Turkish Cypriot press reports in the past week about NDV incidents in Morphou area, noting that the premises in the government-controlled areas that have been affected border this area.

“We are collecting more information which we are evaluating and we will announce its origin once we are ready to do so,” he added.