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500,000 Doses of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Delivered to Turkish Cypriots – No Cases Detected in Free Areas

Published February 14, 2026, 14:11
500,000 Doses of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Delivered to Turkish Cypriots – No Cases Detected in Free Areas

The delivery of 500,000 doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine to the Turkish Cypriots has been completed, following their receipt by the Republic of Cyprus from the European Commission. The delivery was made through the Bi-Communal Technical Committee on Health, at the Ledra Palace crossing point. The Director of Veterinary Services, Christodoulos Pipis, assured that checks have been carried out in the free areas and the results are negative, meaning no cases have been detected. However, the Veterinary Services of the Republic of Cyprus do not have a picture of the situation in the occupied areas, as, according to Mr. Pipis, the Turkish Cypriots do not provide information beyond what was communicated through the team of experts and the vaccination of three cattle breeding units in Lapathos. The Republic of Cyprus is implementing the prescribed surveillance measures along the ceasefire line. The 500,000 doses of vaccine are intended for the vaccination of small ruminants, such as sheep and goats. Despite the negative results of the checks in the free areas, the origin of the outbreak in three cattle breeding units in Lapathos remains unknown, which is a mystery for the authorities.