Strict measures have been put in place in Cyprus to contain the spread of foot‑and‑mouth disease (FMD) in livestock units following confirmed cases. The authorities’ actions are based on the European Union’s protocol for managing the disease, which sets out the procedures to be applied once infections are confirmed.
Foot‑and‑mouth disease is a highly contagious viral illness affecting cloven‑hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. The virus can spread rapidly between farms, not only through direct animal‑to‑animal contact but also via contaminated equipment, vehicles, clothing, or animal products. For this reason, it is considered among the most dangerous diseases of production animals and is classified as a Category A animal disease in the EU animal health system – meaning it requires immediate eradication when detected.
The legislation
The response framework is defined by the EU Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) 2016/429), along with implementing regulations that set out control measures for listed diseases. Once a case is confirmed, containment measures are triggered without delay. Chief among them is the culling of infected animals, as well as those deemed to have been exposed to the virus, in order to break the chain of transmission as swiftly as possible. Culling is followed by thorough cleaning and disinfection of facilities and equipment.
At the same time, protection and surveillance zones are established: a 3‑kilometre protection zone around the outbreak and a 10‑kilometre surveillance zone, within which movement restrictions apply to animals and products of animal origin.
Exceptions
However, the protocol also provides that, in duly justified cases, derogations may be granted from the obligation to cull all animals on a holding. Such exceptions may apply to the protection of endangered species or rare breeds, provided a risk assessment is carried out in advance and additional biosecurity measures are implemented.
As for vaccination, EU law allows its use only in specific circumstances and under strict conditions. Vaccination may be employed as a supplementary tool to contain an epidemic but does not constitute the primary strategy for managing the disease.
The stringency of the measures reflects the serious repercussions FMD can have on livestock production and on trade in animals and animal products. The overarching aim of the EU protocol is the rapid elimination of outbreaks and the prevention of wider spread.
Similar measures are applied outside the European Union as well. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada, FMD response plans likewise rely on the swift eradication of outbreaks through culling infected animals, the establishment of restriction zones, and strict movement controls.