New UK foot-and-mouth discovered

Just as everything was getting back to normal terrible news that a new outbreak of foot and mouth disease has been confirmed about ten miles North of Pirbright, the vaccination laboratory, and outside of the previous exclusion zone.

“This is news that no one wanted to hear” said Hilary Benn, secretary of state for the environment.

FT.com / World – New UK foot-and-mouth discovered
Preliminary tests on samples taken from the cattle farm in Egham confirmed a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, Britain’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.

“On the basis of these initial laboratory results and clinical symptoms Debby Reynolds, UK Chief Veterinary Officer, has confirmed foot-and-mouth disease,” Defra said in a statement.

“A movement ban of cattle, sheep, pigs and other ruminants has now been imposed in England and parallel arrangements are being made by the Scottish and Welsh administrations.”

As usual, it’s worth checking Warmwell

“The animals are being culled this afternoon”

and the expert opinion provided by Roger Breeze BVMS, PhD, MRCVS, Formerly Director, Plum Island USA Department of Agriculture.

So let’s set a new mission for a Pirbright (and a Plum Island) of the future, with decent funding, a new facility and talented staff who have some assurance their work is valued. Let’s protect the UK, US and everyone else – permanently – by eliminating foot and mouth as a threat to domestic livestock globally. We can control foot and mouth and the other major transboundary livestock disease threats in our lifetimes. No new technology is needed – just the vision, the will and the resources.

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