Posted on 08/06/2007 9:12:04 PM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
LONDON — British authorities detected a second suspected foot and mouth outbreak Monday as a top minister speculated that flooding could have spread the virus from a laboratory.
A cull of 50 cattle was ordered at the second site, located close to the farm southwest of London that was the original site of the outbreak which has kicked Britain into emergency mode.
The country is scrambling to prevent a full-blown farming crisis as the European Union confirmed a ban on meat and livestock exports.
Debby Reynolds, Britain's chief veterinary officer, said foot and mouth was suspected in cattle within the three-kilometer protection zone thrown up around the first outbreak site. Officials identified animals with clinical signs of the disease.
"This is a suspicion of foot and mouth disease," she told BBC television.
"We have decided to cull these animals. The culling has started. It has been found promptly and I want to continue to assess the situation based on the laboratory test results."
Samples have been taken for analysis and the results could be available on Tuesday, Reynolds said.
About 120 cattle had already been slaughtered after positive tests were found in three animals, Reynolds said before Monday's culling round began.
The source of the outbreak has not been officially sourced to the Pirbright animal health research laboratory, which is within the protection zone.
But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said that the virus strain found in the cattle is not currently in circulation among livestock and resembled one being used in vaccine production within recent weeks at Pirbright.
Officials are rapidly trying to confirm if a leak occurred and avert a repeat of the last outbreak in 2001, a disastrous epidemic which saw up to 10 million animals slaughtered and the rural economy battered.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said flooding was a possible explanation as to how the virus reached the confirmed affected farm.
"It is one of the options we are looking at," he told Channel 4 television.
"There was flooding on the farm last month. We have got to keep an open mind."
Reynolds also said high water levels could have helped spread the virus.
"The investigation on the farm is taking all factors into account including flooding, movement, and everything that is related to events in the lead-up period to the report of suspicion being made," she said.
"There is interest in a particular area on the farm where there was some flood water and that is one of the features that is being examined."
Farmers have voiced anger at growing signs that the virus may have leaked from Pirbright.
The site is shared by the government-backed Institute for Animal Health and the private lab of Merial Animal Health Ltd, which is owned by U.S. drugmaker Merck and Co Inc and France's Sanofi-Aventis SA.
An initial official report into possible breaches of security at Pirbright was also expected on Tuesday.
Nonetheless, given the fear of an epidemic, Defra has asked Merial to temporarily restart production of foot and mouth vaccines.
"This is in specific response to Defra's order for 300,000 doses of strain specific vaccine only," the pharmaceuticals firm said in a statement.
"Merial's voluntary decision to suspend all production at its Pirbright centre remains in place for all other activities."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has tried to reassure farmers that a "major national effort" was underway to nip the disease in the bud.
Britain has slapped a ban on all transport of cows, sheep and pigs and agreed to an export ban.
In Brussels, the European Commission announced a formal EU-wide import ban on British meat and livestock.
An oval-shaped three-kilometer protection zone and a 10-kilometer surveillance zone are in place around the affected farm and the Pirbright laboratory.
And to expand a little further on the reasons behind that difference - until comparatively recently the term ‘hoof’ in England was reserved for those ungulates which walk on one toe (horses etc), and these aren’t subject to the disease. Ungulates walking on two toes (cattle, sheep, pigs etc) were always referred to by farmers as having feet, not hooves: and these are the species subject to the disease. Although this distinction has now virtually disappeared, except among some older farmers in some regions, and ‘hoof’ is used prettty well universally for all ungulates, the disease has kept its older name.
13 posted on 08/04/2007 5:24:21 AM CDT by Winniesboy
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Ok, so you’re saying that “foot” is an ok substitute for hooves????
“Was” rather than “is” - common usage on this point has moved on in Britain in the last 100 years: but, as I explained in that earlier post quoted by DeaconBenjamin, the older usage has survived in the name of the disease, which is never called “hoof and mouth” here. Incidentally, just heard that this second suspected case has now been confirmed.
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