A Turkish Cypriot diagnosed with mad cow disease”, veterinarians urge urgent biosecurity measures in Northern Cyprus

NICOSIA – The detection of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), commonly known as “mad cow disease,” in a Turkish Cypriot living in the south has prompted the Veterinary Surgeons’ Union to call for immediate biosecurity measures in the animal-based food supply chain in Northern Cyprus.

People can contract mad cow disease by eating beef infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), which itself is caused by infectious proteins called “prions”. The disease causes the brain and spinal cord to become damaged over time and is both incurable and fatal.

The confirmation of vCJD — a fatal prion disease that causes severe neurological disorders — has reignited concerns over food safety, hygiene, and disease control protocols in the region’s livestock sector.

In a statement, the Veterinary Surgeons’ Union warned that prion diseases pose a significant threat to both public health and the livestock industry. The union highlighted that while EU member state Cyprus (south) maintains extensive eradication and monitoring programs for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Scrapie, Northern Cyprus currently lacks a national screening program or preventive action plan.

Proposed Urgent Measures:

- Closure of unlicensed and unregulated slaughterhouses, with upgrades to ensure compliance with hygiene and legal standards in those that remain.

-Prevention of high-risk animal tissues from entering the food chain.

-Introduction of regular laboratory testing for BSE and Scrapie.

-Development and distribution of genetically resistant livestock lines against Scrapie.

-Increased funding and staffing for the Veterinary Department.

“The Veterinary Department, which is responsible for protecting public health, must no longer operate under severe budget and staffing shortages,” the union stressed. They pointed to recent outbreaks of Bluetongue and Sheep & Goat Pox as proof of the system’s current inadequacy.

‘No Need for Public Panic’
Despite the warning, the union reassured the public that there is no immediate cause for alarm. Meat and dairy products obtained from licensed slaughterhouses under veterinary supervision remain safe for daily consumption. The disease is not transmitted from person to person, and the risk can be effectively controlled by preventing high-risk tissues from entering the food chain.

Calling on the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and other authorities to take “science-based, transparent, and decisive” action, the union emphasized: “Early prevention saves lives in prion diseases.”