Nicosia: The 500,000 doses of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine provided by the European Commission to the Republic of Cyprus were handed to the Turkish Cypriots on Friday, as confirmed by Christodoulos Pipis, the Director of Veterinary Services, to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Saturday. Pipis assured that comprehensive checks for potential FMD cases in areas governed by the Republic of Cyprus were conducted, with all tests returning negative.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Pipis personally collected the vaccine doses from the European Commission on Friday, representing the Republic of Cyprus. The doses were transported to Nicosia and transferred to Turkish Cypriots the same day via the Bicommunal Technical Committee for Health at the Ledra Palace checkpoint.
When questioned about the status of the FMD outbreak in Turkish-occupied areas, Pipis stated that the Turkish Cypriots have not provided information beyond acknowledging the second vaccination round in three cattle breeding units in Lapathos village. Beyond this, no additional details have been shared.
Pipis clarified that the 500,000 vaccine doses are designated for vaccinating small ruminants, including sheep, goats, and other animals. He elaborated on the Republic of Cyprus's measures to manage the situation, noting the implementation of surveillance measures along the ceasefire line.
He added that checks advised by the European Commission were conducted to detect potential incidents promptly, with all findings and laboratory tests yielding negative results. Pipis expressed uncertainty about how the FMD incident was confined to only three cattle breeding units in Lapathos village.