Britain Fears Foot And Mouth At New Farm
LONDON - The government has said that foot and mouth disease has been detected in sheep on another farm and that all animals there had been slaughtered.
18 September 2007
1 minute read
"Initial blood tests on clinically healthy sheep on a farm within the protection zone suggest exposure to FMD (foot and mouth disease)," a statement from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said late Monday.
"These animals were identified as part of the surveillance work that is being carried out in the area. All animals on the premises are being slaughtered on suspicion. Further laboratory tests are ongoing."
Transport restrictions -- imposed after last week's outbreak near Egham -- were eased across England at the weekend.
The move allowed farmers across Britain to take livestock to slaughter for the first time since the outbreak.
Similar rules in Scotland and Wales had already been eased, while they were never imposed across the North Channel in Northern Ireland.
