Britain to Slaughter More AnimalsThe slaughter of apparently healthy animals is set to start in an effort to halt the spread of foot-and-mouth disease,BBC reports Friday.All sheep and pigs within a two mile radius of infected farms in Cumbria and south west Scotland will be killed, even if they show no symptoms. Vets from the Ministry of Agriculture will also start daily inspections of farms in Devon, another of the worst affected areas. It is being reported that up to one million animals could be slaughtered. Further outbreaks of the disease across the country were confirmed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff) on Thursday, bringing the national total to 251. The President of the National Farmers Union, Ben Gill, said the pre-emptive cull was appalling but necessary. "We have to eradicate the disease by a very vigorous slaughter and destruction policy. "That must be the key aim to stay on top of this disease and stop it spreading outwards and eventually remove it from Britain," he said. |
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