The health ministry confirmed on Monday that Cyprus is not among countries affected by a Belgian sperm donor scandal linked to a rare cancer-causing gene, despite earlier reports suggesting possible involvement.

Following concerns raised by Belgian authorities, Cyprus reviewed all relevant data and found no connection to local fertility treatments.

Dozens of families in Cyprus were initially thought to be facing growing uncertainty after it emerged that donor sperm linked to a rare cancer-causing gene was distributed to fertility clinics across Europe, including Cyprus.

The donor, known only as X, carried a mutation of the TP53 gene, the cause of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, a hereditary disorder that significantly increases the risk of developing cancer from an early age.

The alert was first made public by Belgian health authorities on May 30. It confirmed that sperm from the same donor had been used in clinics in ten countries, resulting in at least 67 children being born. Cyprus was among the countries listed.

Belgium has already confirmed 52 births and at least 10 cancer diagnoses linked to the donor.

On Monday the Cyprus health ministry said there is “no concern” regarding this case.

According to senior hospital laboratory officer Dr Carolina Stylianou, the ministry was informed of the incident through the EU’s shared vigilance platform and “has taken all necessary actions,” confirming that no such donated sperm has been used in Cyprus.

The donor was originally approved by the European Sperm Bank (ESB), one of Europe’s largest suppliers, after passing standard checks. He showed no signs of illness and had no known family history of cancer.

But in 2020, one of the donor-conceived children developed cancer, prompting the bank to pause use of his sperm. New genetic testing in October 2023 revealed the presence of the TP53 mutation.

This discovery triggered a Europe-wide alert, with warnings being issued to clinics through the EU’s vigilance system in April 2024.

Stylianou clarified that the reason Cyprus appeared on the list was because the sperm bank involved also supplies clinics in Cyprus.

However, due to strict local regulations allowing only one donation per donor within Cypriot territory, any potential exposure would have been limited to a single case, and no such case has been identified.

In Belgium, the scandal has sparked outrage. National laws there limit the use of one donor’s sperm to six women. Yet sperm from X was used in 12 Belgian clinics, leading to 37 affected families.

Belgium’s Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke described the situation as a “double trauma” for families, resulting from both the true genetic hazard and the discovery that their children were born with sperm from a donor frequently used throughout Europe.

The Guardian reported that the sperm had been distributed far beyond Belgium, reaching Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Cyprus.

Cyprus’ health ministry said systems are in place to track the use of donated sperm, and that they receive and respond to alerts regularly.

“We constantly receive such notifications, which we investigate,” Stylianou said.