Those affected by the foot‑and‑mouth disease (FMD) outbreak deserve a “sincere, transparent and responsible approach,” spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Thursday, ahead of Friday’s meetings in Cyprus between the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Olivér Várhelyi, the authorities and livestock farmers.
Responding to criticism over the government’s handling of the crisis, Letymbiotis said such criticism must be “responsible and based on facts” with full awareness of European Union regulations. On Friday, Várhelyi is scheduled to visit the “Zenon” Coordination Centre at Larnaca Airport to meet with Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou and representatives of affected livestock units, followed by broader stakeholder discussions and a meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides.
Unprecedented impact
Letymbiotis stressed that all government actions have been documented and coordinated with EU institutions from the outset, including deployment of EU expert teams after initial cases, and quoted the Commissioner saying it is “very important for everyone to follow the rules set by the government, which is doing excellent work.” He emphasised the government’s aim to contain the virus under established EU protocols, noting the unprecedented impact on the primary sector.
Measures include vaccination programs, support for affected farms, and ongoing coordination with the European Commission, with decisions on culling healthy animals following EU protocols to ensure flexibility without compromising animal health or export capacity. Letymbiotis added that Veterinary Services’ methods are strictly scientific and based on all EU expert recommendations.
Scientists stress 'culling necessary'
Culling animals in infected farms is essential to contain foot‑and‑mouth disease, as even asymptomatic animals can spread the virus nationwide, scientists said on Thursday during a press conference in Nicosia. The event, held in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture, was titled “Foot‑and‑Mouth Disease: Scientific Update and Management.”
Experts noted that while painful for farmers and veterinarians, culling is mandated by EU law and crucial to reduce viral load and halt the outbreak quickly.
Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said the government aimed to provide evidence-based information to the public. “Those with knowledge must explain what foot‑and‑mouth disease is, how to contain it, and how to manage the veterinary crisis,” she said.
Major economic losses
Senior Veterinary Officer Sotiria Georgiadou described the disease as one of the most contagious viral infections in animals, affecting only cloven-hoofed livestock—cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs—and causing major economic losses. “It does not affect humans or food safety, but humans can carry the virus,” she added.
EU law mandates compulsory culling on infected farms, movement restrictions, and sanitary burial or incineration. Georgiadou said this approach is applied across the EU as it allows faster containment and reduces long-term impacts on the livestock sector.
She noted that some third countries use a strategy of keeping infected animals under vaccination, but this has been shown to risk geographic spread of the virus and lower animal productivity.