Foot and Mouth Disease: New Coordination Body, European Experts and Police Investigation

Following instructions from President Christodoulides, a coordination body led by the Director of Veterinary Services has been established to address the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Cyprus. The decision was made at an emergency meeting with representatives from various services, including the Police, Fire Service, and National Guard. The Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture described the situation as "very difficult" and called on livestock farmers to strictly implement biosecurity measures. The coordination body will ensure the effective implementation of measures to prevent further spread of the virus to healthy livestock units. Simultaneously, the arrival of European experts is expected to collaborate with the Veterinary Services and assess the need for additional measures. There are suspicions that the virus may have originated from animal feed through the occupied territories, and relevant evidence has been handed over to the Police for investigation. The Police have launched an investigation to determine the origin of the virus and identify any omissions or violations. The situation is considered critical and requires immediate and coordinated action to protect livestock and public health in Cyprus. Cooperation between various services and the implementation of strict biosecurity measures are essential to limit the spread of the virus.