Following the confirmed cases of foot and mouth disease in Surrey and the introduction of a national ban on livestock movements by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on Friday 3 August, here is an update of the current situation locally.
- The complete ban on livestock movement remains in force in Cumbria. The first priority in a foot and mouth outbreak is to prevent the further spread of disease, and a rapid and rigid application of animal movement restrictions is vital. A ban on movements of all ruminants and pigs is in force and there are controls in place on the movement of animal carcasses, animal gatherings, shearing and dipping. All farms must increase levels of biosecurity. Further information can be obtained from the DEFRA Helpline, Carlisle Animal Health Divisional Office and Cumbria Trading Standards. Police are co-operating with Trading Standards officials with patrols in place on public highways.
- Officers from Cumbria Trading Standards are currently working on a contingency plan to administer and enforce a licensing system should the complete ban on livestock movement be downgraded by DEFRA to a partial ban allowing the movement of some livestock. If a limited movement licensing system becomes operational, Trading Standards will endeavour to process as many licensing applications as quickly as possible - but urges farmers to be patient as there will be an initial surge in demand if and when this is announced. Contact details for farmers will be provided as soon as any licensing system is operational.
- It is vital that all farmers observe the restrictions on moving stock to minimise any risk of the disease spreading.There is a general licence in place permitting the movement across roads for milking cows and for susceptible animals for the purposes of veterinary treatment. Such moves are clearly not vehicular. This is conditional on all excreta being removed from the highway immediately after the move.
- The countryside in Cumbria is resolutely OPEN, with access to footpaths and all rights of way completely unrestricted.
- The DEFRA public helpline is currently operating from 6am-10pm. For more information, the public should call: 08459 335577 or access the DEFRA website at: www.defra.gov.uk
ENDS
Media enquiries to Mark Graham, Media Officer on 01228-606337
Notes
1. Advice from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) is that foot and mouth disease is not a direct public health threat. The Food Standards Agency considers that foot and mouth disease has no implications for the human food chain.
2. FMD is a disease of cattle and very few human cases have ever been recorded even though the disease is endemic in animals in many parts of the world including Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Foot and mouth disease only crosses the species barrier from cattle to human with very great difficulty. The last human case reported in Britain occurred in 1966. The disease in humans, in the very rare cases that have occurred, is mild, short-lived and requires no medical treatment.
Follow this link to view the DEFRA website