NEWS RELEASE
Date: 14 August 2007
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Out of hours telephone 020 7270 8960
Foot and Mouth Disease update: Temporary Control Zone established in Kent
This morning a 3km radius Temporary Control Zone has been put around one premises in Kent outside of the existing Surveillance Zone in Surrey.
This precautionary measure follows an inconclusive assessment of clinical symptoms by Animal Health veterinary staff. The national movement ban remains in place. In addition, in the Temporary Control Zone, general licences will not apply for the movement of animals to slaughter and collection of dead animals from farms.
Debby Reynolds, Chief Veterinary Officer, said:
“The containment and eradication of FMD remains our priority. This is why we have moved swiftly to put in place a Temporary Control Zone while we investigate this development in Kent. At this stage disease has not been confirmed, laboratory results will follow.
“We are in a crucial week for vigilance and planning next steps. Today’s developments are part of our ongoing surveillance and testing and I would take this opportunity to reiterate the need for the highest standards of biosecurity on farms, and for people to remain vigilant for disease and report any suspicions quickly.”
Information on the latest situation on the Food and Mouth Disease outbreak can be found on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth
Notes to editors
1. The current Protection and Surveillance Zones remain. The exact details of these measures can be found on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/. Disease surveillance is ongoing.
2. The Defra public helpline is currently operating from 6am-10pm. The public should call: 08459 335577.
(For current Helpline hours please see "Contacting Defra")
3. Advice from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) is that foot and mouth disease is not a public health threat.
4. FMD is a disease of cattle and very few human cases have ever been recorded even though the disease is endemic in animals in many parts of the world including Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Foot and mouth disease only crosses the species barrier from cattle to human with very great difficulty. The last human case reported in Britain occurred in 1966. The disease in humans, in the very rare cases that have occurred, is mild, short-lived and requires no medical treatment.
End
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Page published: 14 August 2007 13:00
Page last modified: 15 August 2007 18:00