Ministers prepare more virus controls

7 September 2001



Ministers prepare more virus controls

By FWi staff

MINISTERS are preparing to sanction more draconian measures in an attempt bid to prevent the full-scale resurgence of foot-and-mouth disease.

Officials fear the number of foot-and-mouth cases around Northumberland will more than double before the disease is brought under control.

Epidemiologists grimly predict that 50 cases could be confirmed within the cluster before F&M is eradicated, FARMERS WEEKLY has learned.

The number of cases in the area currently stands at 19. Thousands of livestock on over 100 farms have been slaughtered. Almost 400 farms are under restriction.

But experts are no nearer tracing the source of the outbreak in the region.

Officials banned all animal movements within a 6100-square-mile “red box” area covering Cumbria, Yorkshire and Lancashire on Wednesday (5 September).

Divisional veterinary manager Arthur Griffiths said existing movement licences would be revoked and no new licences issued for at least 21 days.

But a draft Emergency Instruction obtained by FARMERS WEEKLY reveals that similar measures are being considered for in Devon and Powys.

The document is from the governments Animal Welfare Veterinary Team.

It warns that the “risk of hidden disease is greater in those counties which have had a heavy weight of infection.”

The revelation is likely to anger farmers who believe inadequate clean-up operations threaten to thwart efforts to bring foot-and-mouth under control.

After Britains last major outbreak of the disease in 1967, 18 farms were re-infected despite being disinfected prior to restocking.

This time around, cleansing has been completed on only 2600 farms out of 9000 where livestock were slaughtered, claims the National Farmers Union.

The next few weeks will be crucial for the survival of many farmers, said NFU county chairman Malcolm Corbett. He added: “We are sitting on a volcano.”

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) admitted that experts had not yet traced the source of the Northumberland cluster.

But a DEFRA spokesman refused to speculate on the final number of cases.

“We have had two days recently when there havent been any cases but then the disease has flared up again. We are not going to talk numbers.”

• Tighter restrictions devastate farmers, FWi, 6 September 2001
• Clampdown on livestock movements, FWi, 5 September 2001
• Ministers backtrack on movements, FWi, 5 September 2001
• Northumberland virus cluster grows, FWi, 5 September 2001