Surrey farm infected with foot-and-mouth

[BGonaSTICK]

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.

[wod]

hopefully it wont be as bad as in 2001, i certainly wouldn't to be a farmer right now as i guess they've only just got back on there feet since 2001

[BGonaSTICK]

Terrible news for the farmers. A double whammy this year what with the floods.

I'm an angler and ride off-road bikes as well - F&M had a massive impact on both recreations last time. My heart sank when I heard this.

Let's hope they don't screw it up like last time.

[madrat]

Oh no. Last time it was terrable round here, the smell in the air was horrible when you realised it wasn't someone having a BBQ.

[Analoguesat]

According to Al Jaz news last night the strain of F&M has been identified as identical to that used the nearby biological research centre.......

[Analoguesat]

Originally Posted by madrat

Oh no. Last time it was terrable round here, the smell in the air was horrible when you realised it wasn't someone having a BBQ.

We flew out of Glasgow to Spain in summer 2001. At 30000 feet on a clear day the views over the Lake District were heartbreaking - dozens of plumes of smoke visible all over the Lakes....

ilot:

[madrat]

Originally Posted by Analoguesat

According to Al Jaz news last night the strain of F&M has been identified as identical to that used the nearby biological research centre.......

Wasn't that the suspected cause last time? Why on earth they don't vaccinate against it when they can is totally beyond me >

[BGonaSTICK]

Health and safety inspectors have arrived at the laboratory complex identified as a possible source of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey.

The strain of the disease found is identical to that used for vaccines and testing at a Pirbright research site.

Inspectors will first be examining Merial Animal Health, a private pharmaceutical company on the site.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the efforts were to "contain, control and then eradicate this disease".

He also said the disease's "transmission mechanism" had still to be discovered.

"I'm determined that we do everything to ensure that the biosecurity that we want to see is properly in place and we can be assured of that," he said.

Mr Brown said the inspectors' report would be completed in the next 48 hours - and the ban on the movement of cows, sheep and pigs would remain in place.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has urged people to remain vigilant as the source has not been confirmed.

Source: BBC