Foot-and-mouth spreads to third site

23 February 2001



Foot-and-mouth spreads to third site

by Johann Tasker

FOOT-AND-MOUTH disease has spread to a third site in Britain as Brussels warned it could extend a ban on exports of UK livestock and animal products.

The third case of the disease was confirmed at a cattle farm near the Cheale Meats abattoir, south of Brentwood, Essex, late on Thursday (22 February).

The farm is within a 10-mile exclusion zone set up around the abattoir and a neighbouring farm which are at the centre of the disease outbreak.

Ministry of Agriculture officials later imposed a restriction zone around another farm which reported sick pigs at Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland.

MAFF described the Northumberland case as “highly suspicious” and there are suggestions that the pig unit has close links with the Cheale Meats abattoir.

The European Commission said that a ban on British exports of live animals, meat and dairy products due to expire on 1 March may instead last for weeks.

The European Union Standing Veterinary Committee is due to review the ban at a meeting in Brussels scheduled for next Tuesday (27 February).

Commission spokeswoman Beate Gminder said the ban may be extended unless Britain manages to control the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

However, the ban could also be restricted to areas of Britain where foot-and-mouth is confirmed if the source of the disease is identified, she added.

Some sense of relief came as an all-clear was given to a slaughterhouse which earlier reported a suspect case of foot-and-mouth on Thursday (22 February).

A sick bullock was isolated after arriving for slaughter at the Chitty Food Group abattoir on the Slyfield Industrial Estate, Guildford, Surrey.

A five-mile livestock exclusion zone was imposed around the slaughterhouse. But the animal, which was later killed, was later given the all-clear.

Nevertheless, livestock prices have plummeted by up to 25% in the few days since the outbreak began. The export ban has hit the sheep trade especially hard.

In an effort to contain the disease, National Farmers Union president Ben Gill made a public call for people to cancel all unnecessary trips to the countryside.

Foot-and-mouth is highly contagious and airborne. Although human cases are rare and slight, it can also be carried by humans who are in contact with animals.

Britains biggest urban newspaper, Londons Evening Standard, devoted its front page to the story, urging readers to cancel their weekend trips.

Postman in rural areas pledged to heed MAFF advice to leave letters and parcels at the end of farm drives rather than delivering them to farmhouses.

Hunting with hounds is being cancelled in many areas and the Countryside Alliance said next months Countryside March in London could be threatened.

The Ramblers Association urged its members to hang up their walking boots and stay at home or visit urban areas where livestock are not kept.

The National Pug Association predicted that Form D certificates restricting livestock movements on farms would soon be “flowing like confetti”.

But it be noted that the certificates are usually precautionary and observation suggests they are not used in cases where any real suspicion exists, it added.

Up to 600 farms which have delivered animals to the Cheale Meats abattoir over the past two weeks are expected to be tested for the disease.

The list of sites connected with the disease (with their foot-and-mouth status in brackets) was as follows at 0030hrs on Friday (23 February):