August 8, 2007

China bans some UK animal, animal product imports due to FMD
 

China has banned imports of cloven-hoofed animals and their products from Britain due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in southern England.

British cloven-hoofed animals and their products, including dairy products, that have been shipped since Jul 8 must be sent back or destroyed, according to a statement published Wednesday (Aug 8) on the Ministry of Agriculture's website.

Those products that were shipped before Jul 8 must be tested before they can enter China, it said.

Cattle at a farm about 50 kilometres south-west of London tested positive last week for a strain of the disease identical to one used at a nearby laboratory, and veterinary experts are trying to establish whether the disease originated from there.

Foot-and-mouth disease is often fatal for cloven-hoofed animals, including cows, sheep, pigs and goats, but does not affect humans.

An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain led to the slaughter of millions of pigs and cattle in 2001.