There is a “strong possibility” that the Pirbright laboratory facility is the source of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, it was announced tonight.

The spectre of the foot-and-mouth epidemic that brought chaos to Britain six years ago returned tonight when a fresh outbreak was confirmed.

Four people have tested positive for for bird flu after an outbreak of the virus on a north Wales farm, the Health Protection Agency confirmed today.

Importers across Ireland are facing fresh restrictions as officials battle to prevent the spread of the deadly bird flu virus.

An abattoir in the North at the centre of a foot-and-mouth alert was cleared today.

Pig samples from an abattoir in the North are being tested for foot-and-mouth disease, the chief veterinary officer said tonight.

FARMERS in Co Limerick have renewed efforts to get alleged high livestock mortality levels around Askeaton investigated after Bord Pleanala has been told of high demand for livestock knackery services in the area.

BRITAIN was holding its breath last night for the results of bird flu tests on a number of dead birds amid fears of an outbreak.

A strain of bird flu has been found in a dead swan in Scotland, health officials said tonight.

Experts on avian flu tonight insisted sufficient measures had been put in place to combat the threat of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.

A bird that died in UK quarantine has been found to have a severe strain of avian flu, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs confirmed.

A parrot which died in quarantine in the UK had avian flu, the British Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said tonight.

PRELIMINARY tests on fowl from a region south of Moscow where hundreds of birds died suddenly detected the H5N1 strain of bird flu, Russia’s Agriculture Ministry said yesterday.

Stormont Department of Agriculture chiefs said today that a botulism outbreak in cattle in Northern Ireland posed no risk to the public.

Britain's Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore is to receive the results of tests which could see England declared free of foot-and-mouth disease after more than 10 months.

A new fortress regime has been put in place in Northern Ireland after a third outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed.

Restrictions on the movement of livestock in Northern Ireland introduced in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis were being eased today.

The Football Association and the Government have ruled out further changes to the soccer programme to help the battle against foot-and-mouth disease unless there is new advice from veterinary experts.

British Agriculture Minister Nick Brown is expected to announce a "pre-emptive strike" against foot-and-mouth disease.

Britain's Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore acknowledged that the scale of the foot and mouth outbreak had come as a shock.

Britain's farmers are facing weeks more of foot-and-mouth misery as Britain's top vet warned the crisis will still last a long time and the number of outbreaks continues to rise.

Farmers in Britain were today warned that foot and mouth crisis is set to last a long time yet.

A vat scam worth £639 has made the Celtic Tiger vulnerable to a foot and mouth crisis.

A new case of foot-and-mouth has been confirmed in Longtown, Cumbria - bringing the total to 27.

Vets believe that more cases of foot-and-mouth are likely to emerge.

Northern Ireland farmers are increasingly hopeful that they have escaped the foot-and-mouth scourge spreading throughout Britain.

A seventh outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at a cattle and sheep farm in Devon has been confirmed by British Agriculture Ministry officials.

No evidence has been found that the foot-and-mouth outbreak has its source in Northern Ireland, the province’s top veterinary officer said today.

British farmers are being warned to check their animals after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among pigs was confirmed.