June 27, 2022

UK rules out suspected foot and mouth disease case

The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have ruled out a suspected foot and mouth disease case in Norfolk county, Norwich, but officials have imposed movement restrictions and a temporary 10-km control zone for animals at the affected farm, Reuters reported.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK chief veterinary officer of Britain, said tests have enabled her to fully rule out presence of (foot and mouth) disease following swift action in response to the possible case.

Cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and other animals with cloven hooves are all susceptible to the severe, highly contagious viral disease known as foot and mouth disease.

FMD is not a risk to public health and is not easily transmissible to humans, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health.

The most recent outbreak in the UK occurred in 2007, but a particularly bad outbreak in 2001 resulted in the slaughter of over 6 million animals.

-      Reuters