Vaccinations of susceptible animals by private veterinarians are expected to begin today, following the detection of foot-and-mouth disease cases, said Senior Veterinary Officer Sotiria Georgiadou, the spokesperson for the Veterinary Services on the issue of foot-and-mouth disease. She added that for now the export of halloumi has been secured and reiterated that so far there is no other positive case.
In statements this morning at the "Zenon" Coordination Center in Larnaca, Ms. Georgiadou said that "the positive thing is that we still have no new cases from the samples being examined."
He added that "late last night the meeting with the expert veterinarians sent by the European Commission was completed, who were informed about the epidemiological situation in the ten-kilometer surveillance zone. A decision was made to begin the vaccination of susceptible animals, especially cattle and sheep and goats, within three kilometers of the surveillance zone."
Ms. Georgiadou explained that "for a start, the 10 thousand doses of vaccines expected today from the occupied territories will be used, while within the next few days the remaining 529 thousand doses from the European Commission will arrive."
He also mentioned that a meeting would be held at the JCED with European Union experts, private veterinarians and Veterinary Services, to discuss the issue in detail and to draw up a more general vaccination plan. “Private veterinarians will be used for vaccinations in the infected area, that is, those who already cooperate with the units and know the area, so as to reduce the spread,” he pointed out.
He also noted that "the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment will have a meeting today with all those involved to discuss support measures for livestock farmers."
When asked whether the veterinary services had other vaccines before the ten thousand from the occupied countries were granted, he replied that "the vaccines are ordered when you have the virus from the company that manufactures them and they come directly, since there cannot be a stock. As soon as we had the first case, the European Commission was immediately informed, on the 19th of the month the farmer informed about the virus, on the 20th we had the positive result, on the 21st and 22nd we spoke with the European Commission and on the 23rd of the month the Minister of Agriculture spoke in Brussels so that the vaccines could arrive immediately", he pointed out, and explained that "the vaccines are produced and come fresh. This particular virus has quite a few serotypes and the vaccine must be for the specific serotype", he said.
To another question, she replied that "the serotype is the same as the one that existed in the occupied territories, namely SAT1, and samples have been sent to the Community Reference Laboratory for further genetic processing and analysis for the above data. Foot-and-mouth disease is a family of viruses that has many siblings, such as influenza A and B, which has seven serotypes," explained Ms. Georgiadou.
Asked whether a total of eleven livestock units have been decimated by foot-and-mouth disease, she replied, "not yet. The killing of 263 cattle has been completed, the appropriate disinfections will be carried out, hay and feed will be destroyed, and the killings will continue in the remaining sheep and goat units," she said, noting that a total of approximately 13 thousand animals will be killed, but these numbers fluctuate.
Today, he continued, "we are in Oroklini. The registration and costing of the animals and food will be done and then the animals will begin to be killed," he said, adding that "the burial sites have already been opened, sampling will continue and at the same time we will see how the vaccination plan will be implemented.
Asked to state whether meat exports are being suspended, she said, "What I can say is that halloumi exports have been secured, while for the rest we are waiting for reactions."
When asked how long the livestock units will remain closed after the animals are killed, Ms. Georgiadou clarified that "disinfections and cleaning will be carried out for at least one to two months and then the unit will be inspected and we will see if they can put animals inside. The issue of contamination has to do with humidity and other parameters," she clarified.
Regarding the time it takes for animals to acquire antibodies after being vaccinated, he said it is "about two weeks."
Regarding the duration of the measures taken in the blocked areas, he noted that "we will see how we will handle the vaccinations, where the zero point is, and then we will expand. When the vaccinations are completed and a period of two to three weeks passes and then the vaccinations are carried out in the other areas, we will see where we get to," he said.
When asked whether there is the necessary personnel in the Veterinary Services to vaccinate animals, Ms. Georgiadou replied that "that is why we called in private veterinarians."
Asked to state whether written information should be given to the livestock farmer in whose unit a case has been identified, she said that "the Action Plan provides that from the moment there is suspicion, a temporary stop is put in place, data is collected, an epidemiological investigation is carried out, samples are examined and when a case is confirmed, a written order is given to restrict the unit."
In response to a journalist's observation that there was information in Troulli that a livestock farmer in whose unit a case was detected was asked to be given the result in writing by the Veterinary Services and they refused, Sotiria Georgiadou wondered "whether the livestock farmer was waiting for the printed result. The implementation of the measures is immediate as soon as the positive result is released," she noted.
In another remark that livestock farmers complained that they now have no official information, he said that "first we need to secure the infected units, to inform the specific people and not to give information left and right about who is infected and who is not. I think this is not right for the people themselves" in the units in which cases have been identified, he said.
He also noted that from the moment a case was identified in the occupied territories, livestock farmers were informed by brochure and SMS, were called to the Veterinary Services two or three times, and seminars were held.
When asked whether there was a plan from the Veterinary Services to deal with foot-and-mouth disease, he replied that "there is an Emergency Action Plan for all List A diseases, it is standardized and is activated with the first case. The Action Plan has existed for years, based on legislation and is implemented as it was done in the past," he said, and clarified that this Plan "is specific, with specific forms and is followed as it was done in the past when there was foot-and-mouth disease and bird flu and other diseases."
He further explained that "when we have a List A disease, this Action Plan is activated."
Regarding the animal vaccination plan, he said that this will be decided later, based on the decision taken that vaccinations will be carried out, after the meeting at the JCC with the European experts, the Veterinary Services and private veterinarians. Essentially, we will see how we will distribute the veterinarians, who will go to the 3-kilometer exclusion areas and who to the 10-kilometer areas, how we will expand further to cover the other provinces," he noted.
When asked whether there is any information regarding the livestock units in free Famagusta, Ms. Georgiadou replied that "the cases are what we reported, so far samples are being taken and I hope they do not have another case."
Source: KYPE
