Farm infected with foot-and-mouth

[hamba]

Farm infected with foot-and-mouth

Cattle at a farm in Surrey have been found to be infected with foot-and-mouth disease.

Animals on the farm near Guildford have tested positive for the disease which swept the UK and wreaked havoc in 2001.

A 3km protection zone has been put in place around the premises and a UK ban imposed on movement of all livestock.

Gordon Brown has cancelled his holiday in Dorset and taken part in a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee by telephone about the issue.

Foot-and-mouth is a cattle disease and very few human cases have ever been recorded. The last human case reported in the UK occurred in 1966.

In accordance with legislation, all cattle on the Surrey premises will be culled, said a government spokesman.

The farm has been under restrictions since late on Thursday when symptoms were reported.

Debby Reynolds, UK Chief Veterinary Officer, confirmed the outbreak after samples were taken from the farm.

She said: "We are trying to form a picture of where the infection may have come from but at the moment it's very early stages."

Gordon Brown is returning to London on Saturday from his holiday in Dorset and Environment Secretary Hilary Benn is to break off from his holiday in Italy.

Ms Reynolds advised farmers across the UK to examine their animals carefully and immediately report anything suspicious.

As well as the 3km protection zone, there is also a 10km surveillance zone where nearby animals are monitored.

'Chaos' last time

National Farmers' Union President Peter Kendall said: "This is a matter of grave concern. We have an industry still depressed from low prices.

We have to ensure this is a small isolated incident. We are working with the government to ensure the right steps are taken."

Tim Bonner, from the Countryside Alliance, said: "Even the words 'foot-and-mouth' will send a chill through the spine of every farmer in the country.

"We hope for a better response this time from the government - the last time it was chaos."








Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/08/03 22:04:21 GMT
© BBC MMVII

 

[mikeeyb185]

NO WAY I WONT BE EATING NO MEAT OR EGGS OR ANYTHING THAT COMES FROM A FARM.HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT JUST THAT FARM HAS GOT INFECTED ANIMALS AFTER ALL THIS TIME SINCE THE LAST INCIDENT. GORDON BROWN SHOULD STOP BOOKING HOLIDAYS BLOODY HELL THERES ALOT HERE THAT NEEDS SORTING OUT, SO THATS WHERE ALL OUR TAX MONEY GOES FOR BROWNS TRIPS.

BK TO THE SUBJECT FOOT AND MOUTH I TAKE IT THERES GUNNA BE ANOTHER CRISI ACROSS BRITAIN COS IT MUST OF SPREAD SOMEWHERE IF THEY ONLY REPORTED IT ON THURSDAY I KNOW IT ONLY EARLY DAYS BUT IT COULD OF GONE ANY WHERE SEE WHAT HAPPENS HEY.

 

[robby12345]

here we go again . . . . . .

 

[nara]

here we go again . . . . . .

Seems like it. Looks as if it's all Gordon Brown's fault then; and he's been on holiday in August too! Barefaced cheek if you ask me.

 

[hamba]

Seems like it. Looks as if it's all Gordon Brown's fault then; and he's been on holiday in August too! Barefaced cheek if you ask me.

Yeah - can you believe it, he went to Dorset for the day!

 

[mikeeyb185]

IF YOU WOULD WATCH PANARAMA YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND. :ASSFLASH:

AND HE WUNT OF BEEN THERE FOR A DAY IF HE WUNT OF COME CK AND THEN HE SUPPOSED TO BE GOIN ON ANOTHER HOLIDAY IN ITALY AND THEN AGAIN TO FRANCE SO BEFORE YOU ALL START JUDGING ME WATCH THE NEWS WATCH PANARMA AND OTHER PROGRAMMES ON GORDON BROWN

 

[nara]

NO WAY I WONT BE EATING NO MEAT OR EGGS OR ANYTHING THAT COMES FROM A FARM.

Why? Foot and mouth disease kills livestock not humans. I think you're getting confused with mad cow disease.

10 Facts About Foot and Mouth Disease:

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious disease of hoofed animals (ungulates) such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. It can also infect elephants, rats, and hedgehogs.
The symptoms of FMD are fever followed by the development of vesicles (blisters) chiefly in the mouth and on the feet.
Affected animals suffer weight loss from which they do not recover for several months, and in cows milk production can decline significantly. Although most animals eventually recover from FMD the disease can be fatal, especially in newborn animals.
Foot and mouth disease is caused by a Picornavirus.
FMD has an incubation period of 2-14 days before symptoms appear. The virus can survive in dry faecal material for 14 days in summer, in slurry for six months in winter, in urine for 39 days and on the soil for up to 28 days.
Some infected animals remain asymptomatic carriers of FMD which can transmit the disease to other animals.
The last major outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK in 2001 led to the slaughter of between 6.5 to 10 million animals is estimated to have cost the country up to £8.5 billion.
The United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Indonesia and Korea are currently free of FMD, but the disease is present in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.
Vaccination against FMD is difficult because there are seven serotypes of the virus and a vaccine for one serotype does not protect against any others. Vaccination only provides temporary immunity.
Humans can be infected with foot-and-mouth disease through contact with live infected animals, but this is extremely rare and human infections are not fatal. Because the virus that causes FMD is sensitive to stomach acid, it cannot spread to humans via consumption of infected meat or milk.

 

[hamba]

Fresh cull in foot-and-mouth zone

A fresh case of foot-and-mouth disease is suspected in Surrey, the chief veterinary officer has confirmed.

Cattle, within the 3km protection zone set up around the farm where the first outbreak occurred, are being culled as a precaution.

Chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds said they had found something "suspect" and the animals were being culled to "minimise any chance of spread".

A report, due on Tuesday, will establish if it is another outbreak.

The BBC understands the new foot-and-mouth cull will affect between 50 and 100 cattle.

Dr Reynolds said the second potential outbreak site was a "small number of kilometres" from Wolford farm, near Guildford, the first infected premises.

Vets identified clinical signs of the disease in a herd on one of their regular visits to farms in the protection zone.

Samples are being analysed for official confirmation.

Dr Reynolds said: "The intensive work of Animal Health has meant that we have been able to rapidly identify this suspect case and take appropriate action swiftly.

"I continue to urge all animal keepers to be vigilant for signs of disease and practice strict biosecurity."







Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/08/06 20:46:34 GMT
© BBC MMVII