Foot-and-mouth probe focuses on research lab

The investigation into how cattle in England became infected with foot-and-mouth disease is now focusing on a nearby research laboratory.

The Pirbright Laboratory Surrey is used as a research facility by the Institute of Animal Health (IAH) and Merial Animal Health Ltd, a pharmaceutical company.

The IAH’s research focuses on diseases in cattle, sheep, horses and pigs including FMD, lumpy skin disease, rinderpest, African swine fever, swine vesicular disease, equine encephalosis and sheep and goat pox.

It also houses a reference lab which specialises in identifying strains of the diseases.

The institute has two other sites – one in Compton, Berkshire and the Neuropathogenesis Unit, in Edinburgh.

IAH’s mission statement is: “To deliver high quality fundamental, strategic and applied science into infectious animal disease and, from that knowledge, to advance veterinary and medical science, enhance the sustainability of livestock farming, improve animal welfare, safeguard the supply and safety of food, and protect public health and the environment.”

Their research findings are supplied to the British Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Health and the Department for International Development in the UK.

They also carry out work for the European Union.

Merial Animal Health shares the lab with the IAH. The global firm produces pharmaceutical products and vaccines for livestock, pets and wildlife.

Worldwide the company employs more than 5,000 and last year sales of its products topped £2.2bn (€3.25bn).

It develops and produces vaccines to protect cattle against foot-and-mouth disease.

Merial Brazil has the largest biosafety laboratory in the world for the production of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine.

The company’s most successful product is Ivomec - a treatment for parasite control in cattle and other species.