All laboratory samples examined so far in connection with Cyprus’s recent foot‑and‑mouth disease outbreak have tested negative, offering the strongest indication yet that the virus may have been contained after months of intensive control measures.
Officials say the latest results mark a significant shift in a crisis that began in early spring and spread across livestock units in Nicosia and Larnaca, prompting mass culling, movement restrictions and a multi‑phase vaccination campaign.
The outbreak, which first appeared in sheep and goats before reaching cattle and pigs, triggered an island‑wide emergency response. Veterinary teams carried out daily inspections, imposed protection zones around affected farms and launched a large‑scale vaccination drive. Thousands of animals were culled in the early weeks to halt transmission, while farmers faced strict biosecurity rules and repeated sampling.
Authorities say the negative test results now coming in reflect the impact of those measures. Surveillance teams continue to collect samples from farms inside and around the original containment zones to ensure no silent spread has occurred.
Meanwhile, vaccination efforts are ongoing after additional doses arrived in Cyprus, allowing the programme to continue without interruption.
