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Foot and mouth outbreak in UK
04/08/2007 11:45 - (SA)
London - Foot and mouth disease has been
found in cattle on a British farm, the government said on Friday
as it banned livestock movements to prevent a repeat of a 2001
outbreak that blighted farming and rural tourism.
Infected livestock were found on a farm near Guildford,
close to London, and all cattle on the farm were being culled,
the agriculture department Defra said.
Officials immediately halted movements of pigs and ruminant
animals such as cows and sheep across the United Kingdom to stop
the spread of the disease and set up a 10km
surveillance zone around the farm.
The disease causes high fevers and blisters in cloven-hoofed
animals and can often lead to death. It can be contracted by
cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, but very rarely by people.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown took part by telephone in an
emergency meeting of officials on Friday evening from southern
England, where he began a holiday on Friday.
He will cut short his break in Dorset and return to London
on Saturday to chair another meeting of the emergency committee,
Cobra, a spokesperson for his office said.
"Our top priority is to prevent the spread of this disease
in order to protect farmers' stock. The plans are tested and
well-established," said the spokesperson.
Recommendations made following the 2001 outbreak were being
followed "to the letter," she added.
Millions of animals were killed during the 2001 outbreak,
destroying the livelihoods of thousands of farmers. Images of
funeral pyres of burning animals were flashed around the world,
dealing a huge blow to Britain's tourism industry.
Brown's predecessor Tony Blair came under intense criticism
for his government's handling of the last outbreak, particularly
for a slow response and for failing to stop the movement of
animals quickly.
Officials said animals would now be disposed of by
incineration to avoid a repeat of the 2001 pyres.
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