Farmers want answers over foot-and-mouth
- 00:01:29
- ITN
Farmers want answers over foot-and-mouth
Britain's farmers are demanding answers over the new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.A protection zone is in place in Egham, Surrey, after initial tests confirmed a new case of the virus.Questions are being asked over possible links with the Pirbright Laboratories which were blamed for August's crisis.Experts at the Institute of Animal Health (IAH), which is based at Pirbright, are now working to identify the strain of the virus to see if the two outbreaks are connected.The latest incidence of the disease is around 10 miles from the two previous cases near Pirbright, which are thought to have been caused by a leak from laboratories there.Surrey Council said the area involved was grazing land attached to Milton Park farm and that the animals there were owned by another farm, Hardwick Park farm.Initial tests on animals on the farmland show they had the virus and the cattle have been culled as a precaution after displaying symptoms of the highly infectious disease.Protection and surveillance zones are now in place to try to contain it and most of Windsor Great Park, which is inside the 10km surveillance zone, has been closed to the public.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said animals on land adjacent to the farm were also to be slaughtered as a "precautionary measure".The second cull came after animal health inspectors spotted the animals yesterday afternoon as they investigated the first case. It was advised "on suspicion" of infection.Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds said: "This is a developing situation. Our objective is to contain and eradicate the disease."As with the outbreak last month, we will be seeking to take a staged and risk-based approach to controls."I urge all animal keepers to remain vigilant and follow the most stringent of biosecurity measures."She had said earlier yesterday that the strain of the virus and its origin had not yet been identified.But the National Farmers Union (NFU) believes the chances of it being a different strain or source to the one behind the original outbreak are "incredibly small".President Peter Kendall said: "It is likely it all goes back in some way to the original outbreak near Pirbright."He said the latest case would have "enormous" ramifications for the whole of the farming community."At the weekend the whole industry breathed a collective sigh of relief that we had moved on. This has set us right back."© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
ITN | September 13, 2007
