Foot And Mouth Disease Outbreak In Britain
Posted August 4, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Freshly-minted British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says authorities are doing everything in their power to track the source of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and wipe it out before it can spread.
In the meantime, a voluntary ban on exports of livestock is in effect, says the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This ban applies to animals with cloven hooves, such as cows and pigs and covers live animals, carcasses, meat and milk.
The british PM spoke from his office at 10 Downing St. Saturday morning, vowing experts would work ‘day and night’ to find out where this newest outbreak, thought to be from a farm in southern England , came from. The entire effected area has been quarantined for a 3km radius.
“Our first priority has been to act quickly and decisively,” says Brown.
The European Union has banned livestock imports from Britain and Japan has banned British pork imports.
In 2001, a serious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain resulted in the slaughter of thousands of animals and the postponing of the general election for a month.
Photo Credit: Cate Gillon/Getty Images
