Authorities in Cyprus will begin vaccinating cattle in parts of the Larnaca district after confirmed cases of foot‑and‑mouth disease, with 10,000 vaccine doses expected to arrive from the island’s northern areas today, according to statements carried by state radio.
Sotira Georgiadou of the Veterinary Services said the decision followed consultations in Larnaca with expert veterinarians who arrived from Brussels. She told reporters at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center that laboratory analysis showed the virus serotype is the same on both sides of the island.
Vaccination will start within the three‑kilometre control zone using the 10,000 doses expected today. Georgiadou said an additional shipment of 529,000 doses ordered from the European Commission is due to arrive in the coming days.
As part of containment measures, she said 263 cattle were culled on Wednesday and that more than 13,000 animals will be culled in total.