BBC: Surge in UK foot-and-mouth cases

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1200000/1200627.stm

Saturday, 3 March, 2001, 20:02 GMT

Surge in foot-and-mouth cases

Foot-and-mouth disease has continued its seemingly relentless spread with a flood of new UK cases confirmed amid fears Europe may be infected.

Twelve new outbreaks of the disease have been confirmed on Saturday - the highest daily total since the outbreak began - bringing the total to 52.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown warned that the UK must learn from mistakes in the crisis of 1967 and not lift general restrictions on animal movements before the disease is beaten.

But special licences will allow healthy animals to be moved from disease-free areas to abattoirs from Tuesday.

Mr Brown said there would be little risk of these animals spreading the disease during transportation, with stringent checks to ensure no contact with infected animals.

But he added: "I'm very conscious that in 1967, in that outbreak they believed they had it under control, relaxed controls and then it broke out again."

"That is a mistake we cannot afford to make."

Meanwhile, shoppers have been warned to prepare for a rise in meat prices, with many people stocking up and supplies beginning to run low.

Early payments

Farmers will soon get £156m from the European Union in compensation for currency movements, after Britain and other EU states agreed to speed up payments.

Payments to sheep farmers will start this month, while cattle farmers will have to wait until April or May. But under normal circumstances the funds would not have been released for more than six months.

On Saturday, new cases were confirmed in Cornwall, Scotland, Durham, Cumbria, Lancashire, Oxfordshire, Tyne and Wear, Dumfries and Galloway and Herefordshire.

The latest cases were confirmed on a pig farm in Hamsterley, Co Durham, a sheep farm in Throckley, Tyne and Wear, and a cattle farm in St Weonards in Herefordshire.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food said it was not yet known how many animals would have to be slaughtered as a result of the new outbreaks or how the virus had spread there.

There are also fears the virus may now have crossed the channel, with suspected cases in France and Belgium.

Thousands slaughtered

Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore said most of the cases were in sheep or linked to sheep and the movement of animals.

He said the number of cases caused by airborne infection was pretty low and usually in pigs.

About 45,000 animals have now been slaughtered as a result of the outbreaks, including 6,300 animals which may have come into contact with infected livestock.

The burning of carcasses continues

The government is now investigating how the disease entered the country. Mr Brown said it must have done so illegally.

Vets, including experts in the study of epidemics, are travelling to England from Europe to help inspect animals.

Efforts to control the spread of the virus have also led to further restrictions on the movement of people in the countryside.

Snowdonia National Park has been closed and walkers who break the entry ban face a £5,000 fine.

The Forestry Commission has closed 2.4 million acres of forests and woodland, including the New Forest in Hampshire.

-- (in@the.news), March 03, 2001

Answers

Full Coverage > Foot & Mouth Outbreak

http://uk.fc.yahoo.com/f/footandmouth.html

-- (in@the.news), March 03, 2001.


A similar disease has been confirmed in the United States. President-Reject Dumbya has a case of "Foot-in-Mouth" Disease.

-- (bwahaha@dumb.dubya), March 03, 2001.

In:

No doubt that the beak and bunion disease problem is real in the UK. But in the US the question about starlink gene contamination of seed corn could dwarf it; depending on the results.

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), March 03, 2001.


Z, YOUR ONTO IT, THE TERMINATOR SEEDS WILL BE A NIGHTMARE!!

-- al-d (dogs@zianet.com), March 03, 2001.

Where's Art Bell when you need him?

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), March 03, 2001.


bwahaha-It's not only foot and mouth, but the dreaded;



-- (good@morn.ing), March 04, 2001.


Um, hello, the link didnt work, WAKE UP and fix the damn thing:-)

PS, I read in our morning paper that this is some serious shit and has spread over there.

Question: How will it affect us? I believe I read where we the US has quit purchasing their meat.

To me this is some heavy information, NOT to be taken lightly.

Imagine what their prices will be for meat over there. Damn.

-- sumer (shh@aol.con), March 04, 2001.


My browser is showing it, but for you 'sumer-

Link to the dreaded Bush disease

-- (good@morn.ing), March 04, 2001.


what the HELL is wrong w/my browser? (sniff, dries eyes)

Are you calling my browser out? Put um up, fight like a man/woman.

-- sumer (shh@aol.con), March 04, 2001.


;) wink, wink!

-- (good@morn.ing), March 04, 2001.


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