FMD Cyprus: First swine farms infected; over 21,000 pigs culled
The ongoing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks on the island of Cyprus, an EU member state, have now also reached pig farms. In total, 3 locations close to one another, about 10 km east of the capital, Nicosia, were affected by the virus in mid-April 2026.
All affected sites in the district of Nicosia housed a considerable number of pigs. The largest had 12,362 pigs on site, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) database, while the other 2 farm sites had 4,282 and 4,500 pigs, respectively. In total, 21,144 pigs would have to be culled. The 3 locations were within 400 m of one another.
Total number of infected farms at 102
The FMD outbreaks are the latest developments in the ongoing spread of the virus. According to the latest data from the WOAH, in total, 102 farms have now been infected in the Republic of Cyprus, of which 12 had cattle on site, all in the districts Nicosia and Larnaca. The majority, however, had sheep and/or goats on the premises.
Remarkably, the 3 swine locations are located very near to or even inside the UN Buffer Zone, which runs horizontally through the island. When zooming in on the locations of the outbreaks on the other types of farms, the buffer zone is never very far away.
Buffer zone – a complex political situation
The 180 km-long buffer zone runs from west to east across the island and has been in place since 1974, the year Cyprus was divided. Since then, the south has been the Greek-speaking part, officially known as the Republic of Cyprus. It covers roughly 60% of the island and is a member of the European Union. In the north is the Turkish-speaking territory of Northern Cyprus, which is not internationally recognised.
It is more than likely that the current FMD problems in the Republic of Cyprus originate from the Turkish-speaking part of Cyprus in the north. As the WOAH can only publish data supplied by recognised nations, detailed, up-to-date, publicly available information from the north is less straightforward to come by.
Reports of FMD since December 2025
The Union of European Veterinary Practitioners, however, already reported on the presence of FMD in Northern Cyprus mid-December 2025. The union quoted reports of the virus being found near the northern towns Ayios Sergios (Famagusta district) and Lapithos (Kyrenia district). The veterinary lab in Ankara, Turkey, at the time confirmed it was the SAT-1 strain of FMD. A vaccination programme would have begun, the article said.
A different article also spoke of an outbreak near the northern town of Boğaziçi (Famagusta district) in mid-December 2025.
Cyprus as a whole had been free from FMD since 2008. This year, the first outbreaks from the Republic of Cyprus reached the WOAH on 19 February.
FMD in Greece
About 600 km to the northwest, the Greek island of Lesvos is continuing its battle against FMD as well. On this island, no pig herds have been infected, but the virus does continue to spread. The outbreaks were initially concentrated in the northeast of the island, which is 67 km east to west and 48 km north to south.
In the latest WOAH update, the outbreak tally has risen to 43, of which 2 are on the west side of the island. In total, 12 of the 43 farms had cattle on site, while the remainder kept sheep, and a few also had goats.
