Cyprus’ veterinary services say vaccinations against foot‑and‑mouth disease are progressing, with second‑dose coverage reaching 37.6 percent of cattle and 10.6 percent of sheep and goats.
Spokesperson Sotiria Georgiadou told state radio that no new cases have been detected in recent days and that vaccines for pigs have now been received.
Authorities have so far culled 28,516 sheep and goats and 1,910 cattle as part of containment measures.
Georgiadou also addressed public concern after a video circulated online showing the killing of large animals.
She said that when animals are too big or dangerous to handle safely, the Game and Fauna Service is legally permitted to use firearms to complete the culling process.
Stavros Malas, head of the scientific advisory committee, said Cyprus’ native breeds are of “exceptional genetic value” and exist nowhere else in the world.
He urged non‑experts not to encourage farmers to take matters into their own hands, including calls for indiscriminate slaughter.
The outbreak has placed heavy pressure on the island’s livestock sector.
Cyprus has been battling foot‑and‑mouth disease since late 2025, when the first cases were confirmed in small ruminants.
The virus spreads rapidly among cloven‑hoofed animals, prompting strict movement controls, quarantine zones and mass culling to prevent wider transmission.
The crisis has disrupted dairy and meat production, strained veterinary resources and triggered compensation schemes for affected farmers.
Authorities say vaccination, surveillance and strict biosecurity remain the core tools for containing the outbreak, and that the situation will continue to be reassessed as immunization levels rise.