Foot-and-mouth outbreak confirmed
21 February 2001
Foot-and-mouth outbreak confirmed
by Johann Tasker and Donald MacPhail
AN outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed in a batch of pigs which arrived at an Essex abattoir from Buckinghamshire and the Isle of Wight.
The news has devastated Britains beleaguered pig farmers who were only just starting to recover from an outbreak of swine fever in their herds last year.
The foot-and-mouth outbreak was confirmed by Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore on Tuesday (20 February) after tests at government laboratories.
An 8km movement restriction zone was earlier placed around the Cheales abattoir, Brentwood, after vesicules, or blisters, were found on 27 pigs.
The animals were kept in lairage while waiting for slaughter since arriving at the abattoir from Buckingham and the Isle of Wight last Friday (16 February).
Restriction zones were placed around the two farms one at Great Horward, Buckinghamshire, and the other at Freshwater Bay, on the Isle of Wight.
But foot-and-mouth disease has yet to be confirmed at those farms, indicating that the pigs may have been infected by another, as yet unknown, source.
The ministry has urged all farmers who they find sick pigs laying down, lame or off their feed to contact their local divisionary veterinary office immediately.
Essex farmers should call Chelmsford Animal Health Office on (01245) 356910. Isle of Wight and Buckingham farmers should call (07776) 161963.
Foot-and-mouth is a highly infectious disease of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats.
It is a viral disease characterised by blisters in the mouth, causing considerable salivation, as well as blisters on the feet, resulting in lameness.
Affected animals stop gaining weight although death is uncommon. The Food Standards Agency said there are no implications for the human food chain.
Foot and Mouth Disease is endemic in many parts of the world. The most recent outbreak in the European Union occurred in Greece last year.
In Britain, the last outbreak was in 1981 coincidentally also on a farm on the Isle of Wight. Before that, a series of outbreaks occurred in the winter of 1967/68.
Hundreds of thousands of cattle and pigs were slaughtered and the government is estimated to have paid out about 200 million in compensation.
An outbreak of swine fever last year affected 15 farms in East Anglia and resulted in whole herds being exterminated and the slaughter of 250,000 pigs.