NEWS >>> Foot and Mouth Disease was confirmed in cattle near Guildford, Surrey on 3rd August 2007. The disease was declared over on 7th September 2007 but the same strain emerged in cattle nearby on 12th September 2007. For up to date information please visit the Defra website here.

Foot and Mouth Disease is an extremely contagious disease of all cloven - footed animals.

It is caused by a virus and causes high fever in infected animals, with blisters in the mouth and feet. The disease rarely kills, but the animal is so severely affected that production of meat and milk is very seriously impaired. The virus can be carried by air droplets borne on the wind, on the wheels of vehicles and on clothing and footwear. The blisters in the mouth and feet are full of infectious virus, as is the blood, milk and dung.

In countries where the disease is enzootic, for example Africa and Asia a vaccine may be used in an attempt to control the disease. This is not ideal. Therefore in countries where the disease is sporadic, such as Britain, eradication by slaughter of all infected and in-contact animals is practised.

There have been outbreaks in the UK in 1967, 1981, 2001 and 2007. In 1967 almost 500,000 cattle, sheep and pigs were slaughtered in order to contain the disease. An outbreak in 1981 was successfully contained by the slaughter of several hundred animals but the outbreak in 2001 was a national catastrophe with over 6 million animals being slaughtered before the disease was brought under control. The cost of this latter epedemic ran to £ billions with agriculture and rural tourism bearing the brunt of the loss.

The disease is not thought to be in any way a serious threat to human health but the public are requested to closely observe all regulations concerning access to farmland and the countryside. The impact of foot and mouth disease on farming businesses can be catastrophic and its earliest erradication is essential.

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