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Foot and Mouth Disease confirmed in cattle, in Surrey

This news story was last substantively updated on 5 August 2007. For later news on this story please see Defra's news story index and/or the Foot and Mouth Disease pages .

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Update - 5 August - Additional test results in Surrey

The culling of the cattle on the infected enterprise in Surrey was completed yesterday. This included the 38 cattle known to be infected, and the cattle on the 2 additional sites, which together make up this same farming enterprise. The cattle on these two sites, both within the Surveillance Zone, showed no clinical signs of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) but were culled in line with normal procedure and tested. Results today have revealed that of the additional animals slaughtered one of them tested positive for FMD. An additional 3km radius Protection Zone and wider 10km radius Surveillance Zone have therefore been placed around the second part of the farm. In addition, as a precaution because of potentially dangerous contacts, susceptible animals on one farm located next door to the field are being culled.

Update - 4 August: Results of disease strain in Surrey, extension of zones

The Foot and Mouth strain found in Surrey is not one currently known to be recently found in animals. It is most similar to strains used in international diagnostic laboratories and in vaccine production, including at the Pirbright site shared by the Institute of Animal Health (IAH) and Merial Animal Health Ltd, a pharmaceutical company. The present indications are that this strain is a 01 BFS67 – like virus, isolated in the 1967 Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in Great Britain.

This strain is present at the IAH and was used in a batch manufactured in July 2007 by the Merial facility.  On a precautionary basis Merial has agreed to voluntarily halt vaccine production.

In response to this new information Debby Reynolds, Chief Veterinary Officer has instructed that a new single Protection Zone be created encompassing both the infected farm premises and the Pirbright site, with a single 10km radius Surveillance Zone.

Immediate action is being taken with an investigation led by the Health and Safety Executive at the Institute for Animal Health and Merial.

In addition an urgent independent review into biosecurity arrangements at both sites has been commissioned led by Professor Brian Spratt of Imperial College. It will report to Hilary Benn and Debby Reynolds.

This incident remains at an early stage. It is too soon to reach any firm conclusions. All potential sources of the virus will continue to be investigated. All other precautionary measures announced yesterday remain in place.

Position following 3 August Declaration

Following an investigation of suspected vesicular disease by Animal Health on a holding near Guildford in Surrey, laboratory results on Friday evening, 3 August indicated the presence of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) virus in samples from cattle on the premises.

On the basis of the initial laboratory results Debby Reynolds, UK Chief Veterinary Officer confirmed Foot and Mouth Disease. In accordance with the legislation and contingency planning arrangements all the cattle on the premises would be culled. A Protection Zone of three kilometres radius and a Surveillance Zone of 10 kilometres has been placed around the premises, and a GB wide national movement ban of all ruminants and pigs has been imposed.

Nationally no animal movements (of ruminants and pigs) are allowed except under licence, controls are in place on movement of animal carcasses, animal gatherings, shearing and dipping are restricted, and all farms must increase levels of biosecurity.  In both the Protection and Surveillance Zones, there will be requirements for increased levels of biosecurity on farms, movement controls, controls on transportation of dung/manure and treatment of animal products to ensure destruction of the FMD virus. 

The farm itself has been under restrictions since late on Thursday evening when symptoms were reported to the local Animal Health office. A 1km temporary restriction zone was placed around the premises earlier today whilst investigations and testing were completed, in line with domestic and EU legislation.

The European Commission has been informed.

Further information

  • Advice from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) is that foot and mouth disease is not a direct public health threat. The Food Standards Agency considers that foot and mouth disease has no implications for the human food chain.
  • Foot and Mouth Disease (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.
  • The movement of animals, animal products, feed and bedding  in the zones will be prohibited, except under license. Products from animals in these zones will be subject to treatment to ensure destruction of the FMD virus. This is an animal health measure rather than a public health measure. Such treatments include the pasteurisation of milk (normal process for most milk produced in the UK), heat treatment or de-boning and maturation of meat in certain circumstances.
  • The exact details on the measures that apply in Protection and Surveillance Zones can be found on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/
  • Export health certificates for animals and animal products will be withdrawn. Exports from GB of susceptible animals during the risk period will be identified and notified to the importing countries.

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Page last modified: 5 August 17:10
Page published: 3 August 2007

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs