August 14, 2007

 

UK livestock restrictions may ease this week

 

 

Restrictions on the movement of livestock across Britain to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease are expected to ease this week, the country's chief veterinary officer said on Monday (August 13). A national ban on animal movements, however, is still in effect in Surrey, southern England.

 

Exceptions to the ban -- such as the movement of animals to slaughter, to milking or for emergency treatment -- are subject to licences and strict biosecurity conditions.

 

Chief veterinarian Debby Reynolds said they hope to make risk-based approach to animal movements by the end of this week.

 

A spokeswoman for the farm and environment ministry, Defra, said that if there were no more reported cases of the highly infectious disease by the end of the week, restrictions could be gradually lifted.

 

The outbreak resulted in destroying more than 570 animals and has also caused embargoes from the European Union and other countries.

 

Farmers say the trade ban are costing them 1.8 million pounds (US$3.6 million) a day and are frustrated at the movement ban.

 

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said it was in talks with Defra on easing nationwide transport restrictions and hoped for progress by the middle of the week.

 

Reynolds said meat movement from farm to slaughter is allowed to those obtaining licence conditions as the situation is still on its tenth day and vigilance is still required.

 

A severe outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2001 forced the slaughter of six million animals and inflicted billions of dollars of losses on farmers and the tourism industry, as much of the countryside was closed to visitors.

 

Inspectors have said that a research facility at Pirbright in Surrey that was developing foot and mouth vaccine was very likely to have been the source of the latest outbreak, although they are still trying to pinpoint the cause.

 

The Pirbright facility, close to the two infected farms, houses a government-run laboratory and a second lab run by Merial, owned by US firm Merck and French firm Sanofi-Aventis SA.