Turkish Cypriot side to send 20,000 foot and mouth vaccine doses to Larnaca as outbreak triggers island wide livestock controls

Turkish Cypriot authorities will send 20,000 doses of foot and mouth disease vaccine to Larnaca after an outbreak in the south prompted emergency animal movement restrictions and heightened biosecurity measures across Cyprus.

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman said the request for 20,000 doses reached his office the previous day, after which he contacted the agriculture minister and received confirmation that the first 10,000 doses can be prepared for delivery by today or, at the latest, tomorrow, with the second 10,000 to be ready within a few days. Erhürman said he conveyed a positive response on the matter to Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides.

The shipment comes as the Republic of Cyprus has confirmed multiple cases in the Larnaca district and imposed nationwide limits on the movement of livestock while culling and disinfection measures begin in affected areas. President Christodoulides has publicly pointed to suspected illegal activity in connection with the outbreak, amid reporting about unauthorised transfers of animal feed from the north.

The planned transfer adds a practical public health channel to the broader leader level contact process, as veterinary authorities and political leadership in the south focus on containment, traceability, and preventing further spread in sensitive livestock areas.

Brussels has also moved to support the response. The European Commission reported the dispatch of 500,000 doses of foot and mouth disease vaccine to Cyprus to support vaccination activities, while EU experts were also expected to provide technical support on the ground.

The UK government has separately referenced a Republic of Cyprus Veterinary Services announcement on the detection of an incident in Livadia, Larnaca, in outlining import restrictions and risk controls.