March 19, 2004

UK Cattle Herd Tests Positive For Brucellosis

The U.K.'s Department of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs confirmed Thursday cases of brucellosis in five cattle in southeast Cornwall in England.
 
The entire herd, located near the town of Liskeard, will be slaughtered within the next 48 hours and cattle movement on eight neighboring farms has been restricted until blood test results come back, said a Defra spokesman. Human movement has not been restricted, he said.
 
Defra was first notified March 8 of cattle abortions and tests confirmed the presence of brucellosis March 12.
 
The U.K. is brucellosis free, along with Germany, Denmark and Norway, while the disease is reasonably common in the Republic of Ireland. The U.K.'s disease-free status could be lost if more than 0.2% of the national herd tests positive.
 
The last domestic appearance of the disease was in 1993, while two imported cases were discovered in 2003 in Scotland.
 
The origin is still unknown according to Defra but early indications suggest the disease was transmitted through the herd by exposure to abortion fluids, the Defra spokesman said.
 
Brucellosis is an infectious disease found in mammals ranging from livestock to humans. It is transmissible to humans through the consumption of infected dairy products.