Newsroom
Veterinary authorities in Cyprus are scrambling to contain a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease after an active case was confirmed at a sheep and goat farm in the Limassol district village of Pachna.
The case has triggered an urgent operation involving animal culling, road restrictions, disinfection teams and an epidemiological investigation, as officials try to stop the virus from spreading any further.
For farmers, the disease is not just a veterinary issue, it is a financial and emotional blow that can wipe out entire herds within days.
“This is a new case with active virus,” senior veterinary officer Apostolos Mazeris told CNA, explaining that laboratory tests showed the infection is recent and potentially dangerous if not quickly contained.
Authorities immediately began procedures to cull the animals at the affected unit, while teams moved in to seal off the area and establish protection and surveillance zones covering 3 and 10 kilometers around the farm.
Within the smaller protection zone alone, officials recorded 42 sheep and goat farms with nearly 10,000 animals, along with two cattle units, all now under increased monitoring and testing.
Veterinary Services are also trying to solve another problem that many people may never think about during an outbreak: where to safely bury infected animals.
Mazeris said the process is complicated because authorities must find a suitable burial area close to the farm to avoid spreading the virus during transport, while also ensuring there is no environmental damage or groundwater contamination.
Officials hope the culling operation will be completed within the day.
One of the biggest concerns for authorities is how the virus managed to appear in what they describe as an isolated farm.
“Obviously it entered the unit on two feet,” Mazeris said bluntly, pointing to human activity as the most likely cause of the spread.
Authorities say they still do not know whether the virus was carried by a vehicle, a visitor or even unintentionally by the farmer himself, but they believe there was likely a breach somewhere in the farm’s biosecurity measures.
The infected farm reportedly does not deliver milk and the owner claims outside visitors rarely enter the premises, adding another layer of mystery to the case.
Still, there is cautious optimism.
According to veterinary officer Natia Kalli, all livestock units in the area had already received two rounds of vaccinations, which could significantly reduce the chances of wider transmission.
Vaccination, she explained, helps limit symptoms and reduces the amount of virus infected animals release, helping “lock” the disease and slow its spread.
“We are certainly concerned about the incident, but everyone needs to remain calm,” Kalli said.
The Pachna outbreak is the first confirmed case of foot-and-mouth disease in the Limassol district during the current wave of infections.
