Haulier fuels fresh epidemic fears
27 February 2001
Haulier fuels fresh epidemic fears
By Alistair Driver and Donald MacPhail
A DURHAM livestock haulier whose business has been confirmed with foot-and-mouth disease has fuelled fears about how far the epidemic might spread.
Peter Monkhouse told FARMERS WEEKLY the disease had been confirmed at his haulage company at Wolsingham, Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
Confirmation of foot-and-mouth at what is a popular haulage business raises new questions about how far the disease may have been transmitted.
Local farmers said the company usually transported stock on Fridays between Hexham market, Northumberland; Darlington market, Durham; and Yorkshire.
It is already known that infected livestock were sold at Hexham market on 13 February from a farm close to a pig unit thought to be the source of the epidemic.
Five new outbreaks of foot-and-mouth, including one linked to Darlington and one at Welsh abattoir in an animal linked to Yorkshire, were confirmed on Tuesday (27 February).
A ban on exports of livestock and meat products from Britain was extended as the new cases took the total number of foot-and-mouth outbreaks to 17.
The ban, which was due to expire later this week, will now be extended until Friday (9 March), said the European Union Standing Veterinary Committee.
Mr Monkhouse told FARMERS WEEKLY that lorries from his haulage business had visited livestock markets across the country in recent weeks.
But Ministry of Agriculture officials told him not to say anything else until more details were known, Mr Monkhouse added.
The company, established in 1972 with a “small livestock wagon”, is now a general haulage firm covering the whole of the country.
Services listed on the company website indicate that it deals in fertiliser, hay, straw and silage as well as transporting livestock bought at various markets.
Professor Mac Johnston, of the Royal Veterinary College, said it could take a month from the last foot-and-mouth case for Britain to be declared disease-free.
“The absolute minimum is 14 days, but you should double that to 28 days and even after that think about it again. There could be reservoirs of disease out there.”
Agriculture minister Nick Brown has pledged that he will not request the resumption of exports until it was clear that the UK is free from the disease.