Foot and Mouth Disease in Surrey; Bluetongue in East Anglia
| This news story was last substantively updated on 1 October 2007. For later news on this story please see Defra's news story index and/or our Bluetongue website pages. |
Update 19:15 1 October
A 3km Temporary Control Zone has today been put around a premises near Haywards Heath on the border of East and West Sussex. This is a precautionary measure following a veterinary assessment of clinical signs. Laboratory tests are ongoing and there is no timetable for receiving these results.
Update 17:00 1 October
Defra has today announced that Kent, Essex, East Sussex, Southend, Thurrock, Medway, Brighton and Hove will be removed from the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Risk Area. From midnight tonight these counties will fall within the FMD Low Risk Area and be subject to the movement controls that apply in this area. This decision follows a veterinary risk assessment revealing no evidence of movements of FMD susceptible animals to, or have cause to suspect FMD in, those counties. Areas remaining within the FMD Risk Area are kept under constant review.
This decision means that livestock keepers in these areas will be able to move animals from farm to farm. Pigs will also be allowed to move an unlimited distance. The control measures in place within the Bluetongue Protection Zone remain unchanged.
Based on the low risk of spread of disease outside the Surrey Protection and Surveillance Zones, Defra is today standing down vaccination teams from their current level of alert. Teams could be remobilised again in five days, if needed.
Update 17:20 30 September
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) has now been confirmed at the premises in Surrey where slaughter on suspicion was announced yesterday. This follows further clinical examination and results of preliminary laboratory tests. This now becomes the eighth Infected Premises (IP8). Minor changes are being made to the FMD Protection Zone and Surveillance Zone in the area. Our objective remains to stamp out FMD in this area.
Following the confirmed case of FMD at this premises near Wraysbury (IP8) and taking account of the epidemiological advice on the nature of the spread of spread of FMD in the northern part of the Egham Protection Zone, veterinary experts have concluded that a number of cattle on four (4) premises in the vicinity of IP8 have been exposed to infection of FMD to such a degree that they are likely to develop disease.
In keeping with our strategy to stamp out FMD, these cattle and any other susceptible livestock on these four premises will therefore be humanely culled as dangerous contacts. This action is regrettable but necessary in order to eradicate disease in this area as quickly as possible.
The programme of intense surveillance and blood testing, through which the case at Wraysbury was detected, will continue in this area. It remains vital that animal keepers are vigilant for any signs of disease and continue to check animals twice a day.
Update 16:45 30 September
From 00.01 hours on 30 September a Bluetongue Control Zone and a Bluetongue Protection Zone came into effect: see the Foot and Mouth and Bluetongue movement guidance and licences pages for further information. The Declaration includes both a map, and the precise definition of the zone boundaries. Additional information explains the controls that apply in each of the Foot and Mouth and Bluetongue zones. An updated map of Great Britain with Foot and Mouth Risk Areas and Bluetongue Control and Protection Zones (replacing Friday's indicative map), together with updates to the online Interactive map, is expected to be available late on 1 October but in the meantime the existing maps should continue to provide useful general information.
Update 20:00 29 September
The decision has been taken today to slaughter cattle on suspicion of Foot and Mouth Disease on a farm in Surrey. This follows clinical examination of animals on land in the existing Protection Zone as part of intensive surveillance in the area. Samples are being taken for laboratory testing. There is no timetable for when laboratory results from these premises will be received.
Update: 16.20 28 September
Defra has today confirmed that Bluetongue disease is circulating in East Anglia. This follows further epidemiological investigations including surveillance into the five cases identified so far in Suffolk, which has led to the conclusion that the virus is circulating between the local animal and midge population.
In line with the UK Bluetongue Control Strategy and European law, a 20km Control Zone is being put in place around the area in East Anglia where cases have been identified to date. Ruminant animals will be able to move within the Bluetongue Control Zone, but not out of it, except to slaughter in the Bluetongue Protection Zone.
In addition, a 150km Bluetongue Protection Zone covering parts of the counties from Lincolnshire to Sussex will be put in place. Ruminant animals will be able to move within the Bluetongue Protection Zone but not out of it. These Bluetongue zones will replace the Bluetongue Temporary Control Area set up on 25 September.
Foot and Mouth Disease controls remain firmly in place on all Foot and Mouth Disease susceptible animals, including pigs, in the Foot and Mouth Disease Low Risk and Risk Areas.
In some areas, movements of susceptible animals will be subject to both Bluetongue controls and Foot and Mouth Disease controls. Farmers must check that all licence conditions are complied with before making arrangements to move animals.
Update: 18.35, 27 September
Defra has today decided to amend the current Foot and Mouth disease restrictions so that, subject to no further changes to the disease situation, movements to livestock markets in the Low Risk Area will be permitted from Thursday 4th October. This will be subject to stringent biosecurity measures, and the current control measures in the FMD Risk Area remain in place.
In addition, following negative laboratory results the Foot and Mouth disease Temporary Control Zone in the Maidenhead area has now lifted. Laboratory tests also show that the strain of FMD found on the seventh infected premises is the same strain as that found on the other premises in Surrey.
Defra has also today received positive test results for Bluetongue for a fifth animal on a fourth premises near Burstall, Suffolk. This animal will be culled.
Update: 14.35, 26 September
A 3km Temporary Control Zone has today been put around a premises near Maidenhead, Berkshire within the existing Foot and Mouth Disease Surveillance Zone. This is a precautionary measure following a veterinary assessment of clinical signs. Laboratory tests are ongoing.
Defra has also today received positive test results for Bluetongue for a fourth animal on a third premises near Ipswich, Suffolk. This animal will be culled.
Movement controls
Following the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Surrey in August/September, and the recent discovery of Bluetongue at premises near Ipswich and Lowestoft, we have made a number of changes to the controls on movement of affected animals, which took effect from 3.30pm today (25 September).
Controls are now based on two Foot and Mouth “risk areas” (together with the existing Foot and Mouth Protection and Surveillance Zones in Surrey) plus a Bluetongue Temporary Control Area in Eastern England.
Those affected should carefully check the detailed information (and maps) now available on the Defra website for information about which controls apply to their location and circumstances – see www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/movements/index.htm.
FMD Risk Area
Essex, Kent, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Greater London.
Bluetongue Temporary Control Area, FMD Low Risk Area, except Essex which is FMD Risk Area
Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Bedfordshire, also Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk where additional controls apply
FMD Low Risk Area
England (except for the previously-mentioned areas), Wales and Scotland
Protection and Surveillance Zones
Foot and Mouth Protection and Surveillance Zones remain in place in Surrey (in the Egham area)
Background - Foot and Mouth
A total seven Infected Premises have now been identified since 3 August.
The countryside remains open, although footpaths within the Protection Zone have been closed.
The latest epidemiology report has investigated the spread of virus; considers that the limited animal movements out of the Surrey area has reduced the risk of wider spread; and concludes that the future course of the outbreak is dependent on the surveillance for infection and disease by both animal keepers and Animal Health patrols.
Cattle owners should therefore check their animals twice daily and report any suspicions of disease immediately. Intensive surveillance by Animal Health staff is underway on a precautionary basis in the Egham and Surrey areas.
Background - Bluetongue
Bluetongue infects domestic and wild ruminants, for example sheep, cattle, goats, deer and camelids. It is caused by a virus that is transmitted by midges. It can be spread by the movement of infected midges that go on to bite susceptible animals in a new area, or by movements of infected animals that are subsequently bitten by midges.
Bluetongue has not been seen in the UK before. Our tests confirm that it is the same strain as the one circulating in parts of northern Europe since August 2006.
A third animal has now tested positive for Bluetongue, at a second premises near Lowestoft, in addition to the previous two animals near Ipswich. At this stage there is not sufficient evidence to confirm an active outbreak of Bluetongue using the internationally-accepted definition. It cannot yet be demonstrated that the disease is circulating between the local animal and midge populations.
As with Foot and Mouth disease, owners of susceptible animals are urged to check their animals regularly for symptoms.
Further information
Page last modified: 1 October 2007 19:15
Page published: 25 September 2007