A new case of foot and mouth disease has been detected in a small sheep and goat unit in Dromolaxia, bringing the total number of affected livestock farms to 46, veterinary services officer Sotiria Georgiadou said on Tuesday.

Around 23,000 sheep and goats have so far been culled as part of efforts to contain the outbreak.

Culling operations were ongoing in the Oroklini area, while the number of affected cattle has reached 1,712. Authorities said approximately 4,000 sheep and goats and a further 30 cattle remain to be culled.

Vaccination efforts are also progressing, with 98 per cent of the affected cattle population already vaccinated, along with 72 per cent of sheep and goats.

A second round of vaccinations, which began in Larnaca district, is advancing rapidly, covering 23 per cent of the cattle population and 2.6 per cent of sheep and goats so far.

Authorities continue to urge farmers to comply with strict biosecurity measures as efforts intensify to contain the highly contagious disease.

Meanwhile the European Commission has activated the EU’s emergency stockpile rescEU following a request by Cypriot authorities through the bloc’s Civil Protection Mechanism.

The assistance package includes disinfectants, personal protective equipment, disposable protective suits, masks, shoe covers and other essential materials aimed at limiting further transmission of the virus.