Foot and Mouth Disease Confirmed in UK

August 10, 2007 - UK Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds confirmed the presence of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Surrey, England, last week. The UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' main priorities continue to be to contain the spread of the virus and identify how it started.

On Thursday, a temporary control zone of almost two miles was established around one premises in Surrey, outside the existing surveillance zone. This precautionary measure follows an inconclusive assessment of clinical symptoms by Animal Health veterinary staff.

Reynolds announced a decision not to vaccinate for FMD at this time.

"The decision not to vaccinate at this stage, but to retain our full readiness to do so, demonstrates that our contingency planning arrangements are working," she said.

However, this approach will be kept under constant review as the disease situation develops.

A national ban preventing the movement of susceptible animals across Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) has been established and remains in place. As of Thursday, the movement of live animals direct to slaughter and the collection of dead animals from farms is permitted.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers continue to be on heightened alert, adding staff when flights are carrying passengers from the United Kingdom, disinfecting footwear from passengers who have been in rural areas and confiscating and destroying pork products from baggage.

The United States has also prohibited imports of live pigs and pork products from Britain.

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