Outside the infected zones, only a few small “fortresses” remain: the triangle of Akaki – Astromeritis – Kato Moniwest of Nicosia, free Famagusta, and scattered units in Limassol and Paphos.
Cyprus, which has failed to contain the advance of the virus in Larnaca, protect the vulnerable pig population, or halt the destruction of its livestock (with 9% already lost), appears to be sinking deeper and deeper into the quagmire of crisis.
“If everything goes well, after two weeks there will be no new infection clusters and that means we will be able to start planning the exit from the crisis. What is very important now, at this very early stage, is for everyone to follow the rules. The slaughter of animals, all movement restrictions and surveillance measures are the most important.”
Two months later, these words from the European Commissioner responsible for Animal Health, Olivér Várhelyi, sound almost ironic. He had made the statement during his first visit to Cyprus, when the disease appeared in the Oroklini – Livadia – Aradippou triangle, forming the first infected zone in Larnaca.
Unlike the Commissioner’s own country, Hungary, where about 18,000 animals were culled after the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in spring 2025, Cyprus has so far culled approximately 37,000 animals. According to the Veterinary Services, 9% of the country’s livestock population has already been lost, with the situation still unpredictable.
The number of infected farms, with new cases being added daily (reaching 92 by Friday afternoon), has convinced the Veterinary Services that it is only a matter of time before the number reaches three digits.
There are also additional factors making the situation extremely dangerous, heightening concern within the livestock sector. The first case at a pig farm in Paliometocho, which caught the state services by surprise and resulted in the creation of a new infected zone west of Nicosia, has created a “time bomb” ready to explode at any moment.
Expressing… “surprise”
The surprise expressed by the Veterinary Services following the creation of a third zone and the first case among pigs raises serious questions about the adequacy and effectiveness of the measures being implemented. At the same time, the level of police monitoring at checkpoints, where disinfectant wheel baths were installed, appears to be insufficient.
Last Thursday, Sotiria Georgiadou, spokesperson for the Veterinary Services, stated that the new case in Paliometochois particularly worrying because “it was not expected to be found in a pig farm outside the zones,” adding that “the surprise was how it ended up there.”
Investigations are being carried out, data is being collected and answers are being sought from all involved parties so that the Veterinary Services themselves can understand how the virus reached the area west of Nicosia, she noted. At the same time, stricter measures are being examined to determine how the virus can be contained. “There are various stages that we believe must be tightened,” she said.
It should be recalled that from the first days of this crisis, the Veterinary Services made it clear that pigs are extremely vulnerable and when infected they reproduce the virus at a very high rate. For this reason, the vaccination plan in the first infected zone in Larnaca was implemented in order to protect pig farms.
Failure
It therefore seems reasonable to conclude that two months later the state mechanism has failed to align livestock farming with the Commissioner’s directive that “everyone should follow the rules” so that “we can begin planning an exit from the crisis.”
On the contrary, Cyprus, which has failed to contain the spread of the virus in Larnaca, protect its vulnerable pig population or stop the destruction of its livestock, appears to be sinking deeper into the crisis swamp.
After all, what remains for the virus to overshadow? Geographically, the heart of livestock farming has already been breached. Outside the infected zones only a few small “fortresses” remain: the Akaki – Astromeritis – Kato Moni triangle west of Nicosia, free Famagusta, and scattered units in Limassol and Paphos.
The course of foot-and-mouth disease is causing such concern that the gradual infection of the entire island through expanding infected zones can no longer be ruled out.
Even Athienou, which had been promoted by the Veterinary Services as a model of biosecurity compliance and a key test case due to its large number of farms, was eventually defeated by the virus.
The last “fortresses”
Livestock farmers in the remaining “clean” areas are increasingly worried, as the invisible enemy capable of destroying what they have built over years now stands at their gates.
Farming communities neighbouring infected zones are publicly urging citizens to exercise caution.
“The Astromeritis Community Council calls on residents to avoid movement in the livestock area of the community following the detection of a foot-and-mouth disease case in a neighbouring community. We urge everyone to show particular care and responsibility in their movements in order to limit the spread of the disease. We ask for your cooperation and understanding in protecting the livestock sector of our community and the wider area,” one such announcement circulating online in recent days states.
The “quarantine” and the EU
Returning to the role played in this crisis by Commissioner Várhelyi and the European Commission, it is worth recalling that the territory of Cyprus has been under a “further restricted zone” status since mid-March, following a decision by the European Commission.
This decision has frozen pork exports to Europe, although the restrictions do not apply to thermally processed products, such as halloumi.
The European Commission has set 1 May as the date for reviewing the situation. Last Thursday, Dr Dimitris Epameinondas, president of the Pancyprian Veterinary Association, told Politis that the first case at a pig farm and the creation of a third zone will certainly affect the European stance. At the same time, however, he does not believe there will be changes regarding the exemption for products that undergo thermal processing.
Discussions will take place, he said, among the working groups of various EU member states, where the latest developments will be assessed.
Cooperation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots as the “key”
At the same time, the need for joint measures between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots is widely recognised in order to adequately shield the entire island from the advance of the most contagious animal virus.
Last week the Greek Cypriot side, through the Greek Cypriot co-chair Leonidas Fylaktou, submitted a request to the Turkish Cypriot side for a second meeting of the Bi-communal Health Committee, specifically the Veterinary Subcommittee, following the meeting of 17 March.
At that meeting, veterinarians from the Veterinary Services of the Republic of Cyprus, acting in their personal capacity, asked the Turkish Cypriot side to operate on the basis of the EU acquis to ensure a unified and consistent policy.
It should be noted that in the occupied areas animals have not been culled except in the most serious cases. Issues such as grazing control along the Green Line and the creation of a joint committee for the uniform handling of such situations under EU law were also raised.
The Turkish Cypriot members of the Veterinary Subcommittee requested time to examine the possibility of changing their strategy and to respond.
After some time had passed, Mr Fylaktou took the initiative and asked the Greek Cypriot veterinarians whether they considered a new meeting necessary with the Turkish Cypriot members, receiving a positive response. The Greek Cypriot side then requested a meeting and is now awaiting the response.
Speaking to Politis, Mr Fylaktou stressed the need for regular exchanges of information regarding the situation of foot-and-mouth disease.
At the previous meeting, according to Mr Fylaktou, the Turkish Cypriot members of the committee said the disease had been contained in the initially isolated Lapathos area, that the situation remained stable without new cases, that vaccination was continuing with the aim of vaccinating the entire livestock population in the north, and that sampling in areas beyond the original zone was ongoing.
In Mr Fylaktou’s view, without the involvement of the European Union it will not be possible to reach definitive solutions to the issue. As he noted, members of the Technical Committee approach the matter of foot-and-mouth disease primarily at a technical level.