Philenews

No New Cases of Foot-and-Mouth Disease – Vaccinations and Sampling Continue – 20,000 Sheep and Goat Deaths and 1,200 Cattle

Published March 20, 2026, 14:14
No New Cases of Foot-and-Mouth Disease – Vaccinations and Sampling Continue – 20,000 Sheep and Goat Deaths and 1,200 Cattle

No new cases of foot-and-mouth disease have been detected in Cyprus, according to the spokesperson of the Veterinary Services, Sotiria Georgiou. Sampling and tracing continue on a pan-Cypriot basis, while the second dose of vaccine has begun for cattle and sheep/goats. The first dose has been completed in 98% of cattle and 65% of sheep/goats. The culling of animals in small units in Livadia is ongoing and is expected to be completed within the day, while in Dali it has already been completed. The total number of deaths has reached 20,000 in sheep and goats and is expected to reach 25,000, while in cattle it amounts to approximately 1,200. Ms. Georgiou stated that the situation is calm and the public is cooperative, despite some reactions that have occurred. The authorities proceeded normally in areas where there was cooperation, avoiding areas with reactions, in order to manage the situation calmly. Cyprus has a legal obligation, both to the EU and to address the disease, to proceed with sampling and culling of infected animals, in order to map the extent of the problem and limit the spread of the disease. The European Commission is closely monitoring the situation and requires the submission of reports.