Cyprus expects FMD measures to be lifted

Director of the Veterinary Services Charalambos Kakoyiannis said on Wednesday that next week the measures, taken in a ten-kilometre zone due to foot and mouth disease (FMD), will be lifted.

”The work has been done within the ten-km zone and over the next few days we hope that the measures will be lifted,” he said.

Kakoyiannis noted that checks will continue and be intensified in the wider region in the hope that ”we will manage by the end of January to complete the checks and that Cyprus will be officially rid of FMD.”

He added that some 29,000 samples have been taken and that there were certain animals in the three-km zone, where the measures have already been lifted, that were found positive and will be put down, and compensation will be given to the stockbreeders.

Kakoyiannis also said that isolated cases were being found outside the ten-km zone but noted that this did not alter the position that the flocks would be tested and any animals found positive would be removed.

Replying to questions, Kakoyiannis said the virus had not yet been located and it was not certain whether the origin of the virus could be traced.

”We hope that the presence of the virus is not confirmed because we will then face difficulties. So far it is not certain where the virus came from, that is if it was the arrival of livestock from abroad or an infection,” he explained.

In the past several weeks, hundreds of sheep and goats have been slaugthered for fear of the FMD and restrictions were imposed by the EU on the movement of animals and the sale of animal products.