New foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey
Also In The News
|
Cooking Vinyl, September 17th. |  |
Wednesday, 12, Sep 2007 11:01
Animal health officials are investigating a fresh outbreak of suspected foot-and-mouth disease in Surrey.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has set up a ten-kilometre temporary control zone around the town of Egham.
Cattle in the grazing area have been subjected to a precautionary cull as officials strive to prevent the outbreak spreading elsewhere.
"The containment and eradication of foot and mouth disease is our top priority," chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds said.
"This is why we have moved swiftly to put in place a temporary control zone while we investigate this development. At this stage disease has not been confirmed.
"In the meantime, and as always in such circumstances, I reiterate my message to animal keepers to practice the highest standards of biosecurity, remain vigilant for disease and report any suspicions quickly."
The cabinet's emergency committee, Cobra, is due to meet later today to assess laboratory test results.
The latest outbreak is about 30 miles away from an earlier confirmed case of the disease in Pirbright, Surrey, on August 3rd.
Surrey was declared free of the disease only last Friday, when Ms Reynolds said she was "satisfied that foot and mouth disease has been eradicated from the UK in 2007".