Disease Information
16 March 2001
Vol. 14 - No. 11
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM/GREAT BRITAIN
Follow-up report No. 2
Text of a fax received on 9 March 2001 from Dr J.M. Scudamore, Chief Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, London:
End of previous report period: 23 February 2001 (see Disease Information, 14 [9], 39, dated 2 March 2001).
End of this report period: 9 March 2001.
An outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) was confirmed in pigs at an abattoir in the County of Essex on 20 February 2001. Laboratory examinations carried out at the Institute for Animal Health Pirbright (United Kingdom) on tissue samples taken from the affected animals showed that the isolated virus was FMD type O, Pan Asia strain.
The total number of confirmed outbreaks of FMD in Great Britain currently stands at one hundred and fifteen (115). In addition, a single outbreak of FMD was also confirmed in Northern Ireland on 1 March linked with the movement of infected sheep from Great Britain.
The majority of outbreaks have involved sheep destined for slaughter, though disease has also been diagnosed in cattle and pigs. In addition to holdings on which disease has been confirmed, animals on 95 holdings considered to be at risk from FMD through contacts with an infected holding have also been killed. A total of 86,259 animals (13,660 cattle, 67,312 sheep, 613 goats and 4,674 pigs) are on the 115 holdings where FMD has been confirmed and 19,495 animals (5,527 cattle, 13,564 sheep, 2 goats and 402 pigs) on the 95 holdings considered at risk from FMD.
On the basis of current epidemiological knowledge, a pig holding in the County of Tyne and Wear is thought to have been the source of the subsequent outbreaks, infection having been introduced into the holding in early February. Thereafter, the disease spread to a cluster of holdings in the County of Essex through the movement of pigs and people and local airborne spread, and to sheep and cattle holdings in other parts of Great Britain initially through the movement of sheep through markets and subsequently by local spread around infected holdings. These movements took place before the suspected presence of FMD in the country was first notified to the authorities on 19 February.
All the measures foreseen in Council Directive 85/511/EEC have been applied. Protection and surveillance zones with a radius of at least 3 km and 10 km, respectively, have been imposed around each infected holding, the surveillance zones having been extended to take account of natural barriers and the prevailing wind conditions at the time between in the introduction of disease and its first detection, as appropriate. All FMD susceptible animals on the 115 holdings where the disease has been confirmed and on the 95 holdings considered at risk have been killed and their carcases destroyed.
On 23 February 2001, The Foot and Mouth Disease Declaratory (Controlled) Area Order 2001 made the whole of England and Wales a controlled area for the purposes of FMD control and banned the movement of all FMD susceptible animals and their carcases except under license. The holding of fairs, markets, shows or other gatherings of animals was also banned. Identical legislation was made in Scotland. The Order expired on 2 March and was replaced by The Foot and Mouth Disease Declaratory (Controlled Area)(England & Wales)(No 2) Order 2001, which, while continuing to prohibit the movement of all FMD susceptible animals and their carcases in the whole of England and Wales, provided for the movement of animals of any species direct to abattoirs for slaughter under official control. Again, identical legislation was made in Scotland.
On 21 February 2001, European Commission Decision 2001/145 came into force and banned the export from the whole of the United Kingdom of live animals, germplasm, fresh meat, meat products, milk and milk products, hides and skins of FMD susceptible species. Derogations to the export ban were given for the above commodities subject to the conditions laid down in the Decision. It was implemented through The Export Restrictions (Foot & Mouth Disease) Regulations 2001. Subsequently, Commission Decisions 2001/172 and 2001/190 have renewed the ban which is currently in force until 27 March 2001.
Further information on the disease, the location of outbreaks in Great Britain and the measures in place to bring it under control can be found on the MAFF website: http://www.maff.gov.uk.
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Extract of a fax received on 15 March 2001 from Dr J.M. Scudamore, Chief Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, London:
Report date: 14 March 2001.
Number of outbreaks by county confirmed as of 14 March 2001
Localisation No. Anglesey 4 Berkshire 2 Cheshire 1 Co Durham 14 Cornwall 2 Cumbria 65 Derbyshire 7 Devon 31 Dumfries & Galloway 33 Essex 9 Gloucestershire 5 Herefordshire 6 Kent 1 Lancashire 5 Leicestershire 2 Northamptonshire 1 North Yorkshire 1 Northumberland 2 Oxfordshire 1 Powys 7 Somerset 1 Staffordshire 7 Tyne & Wear 11 Warwickshire 1 West Yorkshire 1 Wiltshire 6 Worcestershire 6 TOTAL 232
Number of susceptible animals in the outbreaks:
cattle sheep pigs goats 36,864 124,447 4,942 26
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