High alert for further spread of foot-and-mouth disease

IRELAND remains on high alert for foot-and-mouth disease amid fears there could be further outbreaks of the disease in Britain.

British Government vets were reported yesterday to have launched a probe into how the virus went unnoticed for 10 days on a farm at the centre of the latest outbreak.

Experts are worried that animals and vehicles moving on or off the farm could easily have spread the highly contagious infection to other areas.

However, the British authorities have confirmed that the outbreak in livestock at all four sites in southern England is of the same strain.

Meanwhile, Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan said her hope is that foot-and-mouth disease will be eradicated in Britain. She said Ireland remains on high alert until such time as it knows exactly what is happening in Britain.

“We are working very closely with them and most particularly with my colleagues in Northern Ireland,” she said.

IFA president Padraig Walshe said the latest outbreak of the disease in England was not completely unexpected. Given the nature of the virus, there may very well be further suspect cases.

“The fact that all of the cases have been confined to the Surrey area is a big advantage for authorities in Britain in their efforts to control and eliminate the disease,” he said.

Mr Walshe said that, as far as Ireland is concerned, he was satisfied that the banning of meat and livestock from Britain and the controls in place at points of entry would keep out the disease.

ICSA general secretary Eddie Punch said the latest confirmed case in Surrey raised further concerns that the situation cannot be regarded as stable at this time, and every precaution to prevent the spread of the disease should be taken.

He said the ICSA has demanded that an increased period of restrictions on British meat and livestock exports be imposed this time around to safeguard other countries.