The UK has imposed restrictions on certain susceptible imports from Cyprus, after it became the latest European country to report foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
The Republic of Cyprus authorities imposed strict livestock controls on Tuesday after multiple cases of FMD were confirmed, Reuters reported.
Veterinary officials said outbreaks had been detected at 11 farms in the southern district of Larnaca, following confirmation of an initial case at a farm with 300 cattle in Livadia on February 20.
The outbreaks have triggered nationwide restrictions on the movement of animals and heightened biosecurity measures across farming areas. The Cyprus Mail reported that 13,000 cattle, sheep and goats were due to be slaughtered as a result of the outbreaks, with carcases at the Livadia unit to be either buried or cremated at designated sites once preparations are completed.
“It appears, based on preliminary information that there were possible illegal activities, which led to the difficult, very difficult state of affairs that we have to manage today,” Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters.
There have been widespread reports of unauthorised transport of hay from the northern parts of the island to the south, the Reuters report added.
The island of Cyprus is split into two and FMD had been reported in the Turkish Cypriot-controlled north part of the island in December.
On February 11, the European Commission announced it had sent 500,000 doses of FMD serotype SAT1 vaccine to the Republic of Cyprus to support vaccination activities in the areas ‘in which the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control’.
Commenting on suggestions that the veterinary services had not taken action in December, when an incident had been reported in the north, Soteria Georgiades, senior officer of the Veterinary Services, said that no vaccinations can take place if a country is free of the disease, the Cyprus Mail reports.
“We have no control over what happens in the north,” she said, adding that the south lost its disease-free status on February 21.
Until now, the Cyrpus government authorities had focused on preventive surveillance, biosecurity controls and disinfection measures at crossing points between the north and south.
UK response
Confirmation of FMD in the Cypriot-controlled part of Cyprus prompted the UK government to announce that restrictions will be imposed on commercial imports of the various commodities from the Republic of Cyprus.
These include live ruminant and porcine animals, including wild game, and their germplasm, chilled and frozen fresh meat from ruminant and porcine animals, milk, colostrum and their products, unless subjected to treatment, certain animal by-products and hay and straw.
“A separate OVS note will be issued when these restrictions are implemented. In the meantime, any consignments from the Republic of Cyprus of the above-mentioned commodities should be held,” it said.