The 7-member Scientific Advisory Committee on foot-and-mouth disease convened on Wednesday in Cyprus to address the ongoing management of the disease. The committee was appointed by Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou.
Committee composition
The committee comprises Dr Sotiria Georgiadou, Dr Dimitris Epameinondas, Dr Kostas A. Konstantinou, Dr Stella Mazeris, Dr Georgios Nikolaou, Dr Kyriakos Spanoudis, and Dr Dimitris Tsaltas.
Dr Georgiadou serves as Senior Veterinary Officer at the Veterinary Services of Cyprus, heading the Veterinary Laboratories and Histopathology Lab at the Animal Health Laboratory. She holds postgraduate degrees in Molecular Biology and Biomedical Sciences from the University of Cyprus and Public Administration from the Mediterranean Institute of Management.
Dr Epameinondas graduated from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and holds two master’s degrees in veterinary surgery and public administration. He has served in the Pan-Cyprian Veterinary Association since 2013, including roles as General Secretary, Vice President, and President in 2024. He represents Cyprus in international veterinary organisations including FECAVA, WSAVA, ISFM, and FVE.
Dr Konstantinou is a pathologist and infectious disease specialist at the Nicosia General Hospital and the Ministry of Health’s Infectious Disease Surveillance Unit. He previously served on Cyprus’ COVID-19 Scientific Monitoring Committee and participates in European scientific forums.
Expertise spans veterinary, epidemiology, and agricultural science
Dr Mazeris, a veterinary epidemiologist, teaches at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, focusing on zoonotic diseases, livestock health, and public health policy support.
Dr Nikolaou, Clinical Assistant Professor of Veterinary Pathology at the University of Nicosia, specialises in animal infectious disease pathogenesis, immunology, and diagnostic veterinary pathology.
Dr Spanoudis, a veterinarian and Assistant Professor at the University of Nicosia, chairs the Veterinary Council of Cyprus and researches clinical trials in production animals and disease management.
Dr Tsaltas, Professor and Head of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science at Cyprus University of Technology, focuses on agricultural microbiology, biosecurity, microbial risks in production, animal health, and food safety under the One Health framework.
Coordinated response to animal health risks
The committee’s collective expertise in veterinary medicine, epidemiology, public health, and agricultural sciences ensures a coordinated response to foot-and-mouth disease in Cyprus, supporting both prevention and containment measures.
Also read: Foot-and-mouth disease: 85% of cattle and 45% of sheep/goats vaccinated
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