Hampshire foot-and-mouth fear
Sunday, 23 Sep 2007 19:49
Officials deal with foot and mouth in Surrey
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Laboratory tests are seeking to establish whether the current foot and mouth disease outbreak has spread to Hampshire.
All the previous four instances in the last fortnight have been within the 3km protection zone set up around Egham in Surrey but the government is now faced with the possibility it may have failed to contain the disease within the county.
A statement on the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) website said a new protection zone had been established around the premises near Peterfield as a "precautionary measure following a veterinary assessment of clinical signs".
The statement added: "It remains essential for animal keepers to practice the highest standards of biosecurity, remain vigilant for disease and report any suspicions immediately. Cattle owners should examine their livestock twice a day."
The announcement will be a fresh blow to Britain's farming community, which is facing the first recorded instance of the insect-transmitted bluetongue disease in its history yesterday.
Previous concerns about the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in Norfolk and Scotland proved unfounded and the government has imposed strict movement restrictions to try and prevent the disease's spread.