Bluetongue has killed ten animals at a sheep and goat farm in Pera Orinis, in the Nicosia district. It is the first outbreak of the disease in Nicosia this year and the third in less than a year.
Thirty-nine of the farm’s 624 sheep and goats have been infected. The two previous outbreaks caused no losses. The first was in Steni, in the Paphos district, on October 8, 2025, and the second was in Aradippou, in the Larnaca district, on November 21, 2025.
The number of infected animals in Cyprus now stands at 45, out of 781 susceptible animals.
Bluetongue affects only ruminants and cannot be passed to humans under any circumstances. Milk, meat and all other livestock products are completely safe to consume.
The outbreak began on September 7. Tests carried out by the Veterinary Services’ Animal Health Laboratory (Virology Department) on September 14 and 15, using c-ELISA and real-time PCR, confirmed the virus.
The outbreak was caused by serotype 4 of the virus (BTV-4). The virus does not spread through contact between animals. It spreads only through the bites of small insects such as Culicoides midges.
The Veterinary Services are taking measures against these insects. They advise farmers to use approved insect repellents on their animals regularly and spray their sheds. Farmers should also keep animals indoors when the insects are most active and remove standing water near their farms.
Symptoms in animals include a high fever of up to 42C, swelling of the head and mouth, nasal discharge, heavy drooling, mouth sores, difficulty walking and miscarriages.
