Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Commission or the Cypriot Government have been able to identify the specific strain responsible for the foot and mouth outbreak in Cyprus. [30342/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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An outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease was confirmed by the Cypriot authorities on the 5th November. According to the most recent information, presented to a meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health in Brussels on the 20th November, foot-and-mouth disease in Cyprus has been confirmed on the basis of serological tests in six sheep flocks and clinical signs in one flock.

The test results carried out by the Community Reference Laboratory in Pirbright were positive for the O type of the virus with further refining tests continuing. The last outbreak of FMD in Cyprus was in 1964. Epidemiological investigations into the source of the disease are also continuing.

All of Cyprus has been declared a "high risk zone" and no live cattle, sheep, goats or pigs, or products from these animals can be exported from the whole of Cyprus, with the exception of certain heat-treated products such as Halloumi cheese which can still be exported. In line with EU legislation, the Cypriot authorities have culled the sheep in the affected flocks and established a 3 km protection and 10 km surveillance zone around the infected holdings. Within these zones, stringent movement restrictions apply, surveillance has been stepped up and biosecurity measures have been strengthened. An EU Commission Decision has been taken confirming the measures taken by the Cypriot authorities. The EU Commission has also sent 2 experts from its emergency veterinary team to Cyprus to provide technical on-the-spot support.