The Veterinary Services are on alert after a positive case of case of foot-and-mouth disease has been located in a cattle unit in Dromolaxia.

According to initial information, the unit is located outside the 10-kilometre perimeter designated as an infected area for the disease. There are around 500 animals in the unit. 

The positive case of foot-and-mouth disease was identified in a cattle unit in Dromolaxia, as part of the epidemiological investigation and laboratory tests were carried out.

This is the second cattle farm to be affected, as the other 21 are sheep and goat farms.

According to the protocol observed by the Veterinary Services, all 500 animals will be culled.

Veterinary Services spokeswoman Soteria Georgiades, speaking on Alpha, urged all those involved to follow the decrees and provisions, and stop coming and going in specific areas.

Referring to culling, Georgiades said that, “as absurd as it may sound, we have made a final attempt, there was a videoconference on Wednesday afternoon with the European Commission’s directorate for health, we analysed the situation and what we are doing, and we asked them to consider the possibility of culling only the animals testing positive.”

“We were told that the provisions of the legislation are specific and do not provide for a derogation and nothing other than the culling of the herd,” she added.

Further details and clarifications on the case are expected to be provided by a representative of the Veterinary Services at a press conference to be held later in the day.