Britain set up controls round a farm in southeast England
yesterday because of a suspected case of foot and mouth disease,
raising fears that an existing outbreak of the livestock disease
may not have been contained.
Animal health experts were investigating the suspected case
reported in Kent, to the east of Surrey where the highly infectious
animal disease was found and hundreds of animals culled earlier
this month, officials said.
Authorities hope they have contained the outbreak in Surrey but
confirmation of a case in Kent would be a blow to British
agriculture.
"We are setting up a new temporary control zone for foot and
mouth disease in Kent," said a spokeswoman for the agriculture
ministry Defra.
Livestock movements are banned in a control zone. The
spokeswoman did not disclose the farm's location.
Kevin Pearce, director of food and farming at the National
Farmers' Union, said samples had been taken from animals at the
farm but no cull had been ordered.
"It doesn't necessarily mean there is a case (of foot and
mouth). It means that they have not been able to discount it
straight away and as a precautionary measure they will be taking
samples and testing for any signs of the virus," he said. A
national ban on animal movements has been in place since the
confirmation on August 3 of foot and mouth in Surrey, although
there are some exceptions such as the movement of animals to
slaughter, to milking or for emergency treatment.
More than 570 animals have been destroyed as a result of the
outbreak and the European Union and other countries have banned
British meat and dairy exports. Farmers are frustrated by the
movement ban and say the trade curbs are costing them 1.8
million?pounds?(US$3.6 million) a day.
(China Daily via agencies August 15, 2007)
