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A case of H5N1 bird flu has been detected in a goose found at the lake in Athalassa National Forest Park, the Veterinary Services said Tuesday.
The discovery does not mean people need to avoid the park. However, visitors are being advised not to approach, touch or feed birds and to avoid close contact with them.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control currently considers the risk from the bird flu viruses circulating in Europe to be low for the general public. The risk is greater for people who have direct, unprotected contact with infected animals or contaminated environments.
Avian influenza is a contagious viral disease affecting birds. It can spread through direct contact with an infected bird or indirectly through contaminated equipment, surfaces, food or water.
Further laboratory tests are being carried out with the European Union Reference Laboratory to determine the characteristics and severity of the virus detected in the goose.
Cyprus has informed the European Commission and the World Organisation for Animal Health about the case.
For most people, the message is straightforward: admire the birds from a distance and do not feed or handle them.
The warning is more urgent for poultry farmers and people who keep chickens, ducks or other birds at home.
The Veterinary Services said domestic poultry must be confined to enclosed and covered areas to prevent direct or indirect contact with wild and migratory birds. The precaution is particularly important in communities close to lakes, reservoirs, and other wetlands.
Food and water must not be left outdoors where they could attract wild birds. Poultry must also not be given water from lakes, ponds, or other surface water sources accessible to wildlife.
Commercial farms have similarly been instructed to strengthen their protective measures and prevent any contact between farmed poultry and wild birds.
Owners who notice an unusual increase in sick or dead poultry must immediately contact their district Veterinary Office:
- Nicosia: 22 805241
- Larnaca: 24 821275
- Famagusta: 24 824555
- Limassol: 25 819512
- Paphos: 26 821260
Authorities have not announced further cases. Testing and monitoring are continuing.
