Disease Information

9 March 2001
Vol. 14 - No. 10

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM / NORTHERN IRELAND

(Date of last previously reported outbreak: 1941).

Emergency report

Text of a fax received on 2 March 2001 from Dr J.M. Scudamore, Chief Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, London:

Report date: 2 March 2001.

Nature of diagnosis: clinical and laboratory.

Date of initial detection of animal health incident: 27 February 2001.

Estimated date of first infection: 19 February 2001.

Outbreaks:

Location	No. of outbreaks
County Armagh	1

Total number of animals in the outbreak:

species	susceptible	cases	deaths	destroyed	slaughtered
ovi	21	4	...	21	0

Laboratory where diagnosis was made: Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, Surrey (OIE World Reference Laboratory (WRL) for foot and mouth disease).

Epidemiology:

A. Source of agent / origin of infection: backward trace from animals moving through market at Longtown, in the north-western part of England.

B. Mode of spread: movement of animals following contact at the market in England.

C. Other epidemiological details: flock of 21 sheep mixed on 19 February 2001 with imported sheep from Longtown, England.

Control measures: stamping-out policy; control programme covering the whole of Northern Ireland; notifiable disease. Three-kilometre and ten-kilometre zones established around the outbreak. Susceptible species slaughtered on adjacent premises. Carcases destroyed by burning.