Second Wave of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Hits British Farms

Two weeks after the ban on animal movements to try to curb the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, a "second wave" of new cases was identified on Friday.

It had been hoped that new cases would start to tail off, as foot-and-mouth normally incubates in livestock for a maximum of 14 days. But 13 more cases have been confirmed so far on Friday, bringing the total number of outbreaks in Britain to 120.

Farmers had been hoping that the restrictions on the movement of livestock during the crisis would be eased on Friday.

But Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore said tight restrictions on livestock movements and other activities that risked spreading the disease were absolutely essential.

"These restrictions must be retained until we are sure the outbreak is over," he said. "To relax the controls too early could lead to a further deterioration in the situation."

Scudamore was speaking after a regular weekly meeting with farmers' leaders and members of the meat and livestock industry.

He said there had been signs that some people felt that the problem was over and that the tight controls were no longer required.

"This could have caused some complacency in observing the rules, " he said.

The new outbreaks included some in previously unaffected areas and three in Scotland, bringing the country's total to 16.

Ministry of Agriculture officials said the latest confirmed cases included detection of the disease among cattle and sheep at a farm in Arthuret in Cumbria, a farm in Derbyshire and a farm in Shebbear in Devon.

The National Assembly for Wales said that the country's fifth case was confirmed at the Tawny Owl Animal Park in Painscastle, Powys.

The sheep and cattle which are at the park will have to be slaughtered within 24 hours.

The biggest problem now presenting itself across the UK is that the disease seems to be spreading most rapidly among cattle which have come into contact with sheep carrying the virus.

Scudamore said 89,000 animals had now been earmarked for slaughter -- and that 61,000 of them had already been culled.

Restrictions were still in place on 144 farms pending ongoing investigations, while 68 premises had already been classified as " dangerous contacts," with animals being destroyed.






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