England deal with foot and mouth disease

On the evening of August 4, the Ministry of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced a source of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle on a farm in Surrey, southern England, similar to a virus source. used in a neighboring laboratory of this farm.

According to DEFRA's announcement, the virus source at the farm near the village of Normandy in Surrey is not a new source of viruses found in animals. And Pirbright laboratory of the Veterinary Institute, a government agency, is conducting research on foot and mouth disease, about six kilometers from the farm, which seems to be the source of the disease at the camp.

Andrew Biggs, a veteran of the Veterinary Association, confirmed there are signs that the virus from the lab spreads to the neighboring farm. This virus belongs to the picornavirus family that can be transmitted through dust, infected animals in a healthy herd, transported by cattle and consumed by infected animals and by-products. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, three farms in the region have been infected.

The road in the area near the infected farm is being protected (Photo: BBC)

An emergency plan was immediately implemented with a ban on the movement of cattle (pigs, sheep and cows) across the British territory, establishing a temporary quarantine zone within a kilometer radius, a protected area. Three kilometers and a 10 km monitoring area around the farm and laboratory.

A ban on the export of livestock, meat and milk has also been issued. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown shortened the summer vacation and Environment Minister Hilary Benn stopped the vacation to participate in resolving the issue.

According to journalists, the UK wants to avoid a significant economic loss, such as the foot-and-mouth epidemic that occurred in the country in 2001. At that time, the epidemic led to killing seven million cattle and causing a loss of 12 billion euros, and it took a year after it appeared on a farm in the north, the foot-and-mouth virus was excluded. The government at that time was heavily criticized for its slow reaction.

Meanwhile, the EU announced a ban on the export of high-risk cattle (cows, pigs, sheeps) and by-products from cattle (bones, meat, milk) to the UK began to take effect from the day. 6-8.

A committee of veterinary experts from 27 EU countries will meet on this issue on August 8. Elsewhere, Japan, the United States and many other countries postponed British pork imports.

Control ring around the farm and laboratory area
have foot and mouth virus (Photo: TTO)

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