Farms were 'foot-and-mouth free'

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More than one third of sheep farms thought to have foot-and-mouth in the 2001 crisis did not have the disease.

Some 38% of sheep farms and 23% of all livestock farms with suspected cases were disease free, the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) research suggests.

Over one million misdiagnosed animals were slaughtered within 24 hours before lab test results confirmed the disease.

The IAH is developing a quicker farm-based test following the study published in the Veterinary Record.

The laboratory test at the time of the foot-and-mouth crisis could take several days but the policy was to slaughter animals suspected of having the disease inside 24 hours to stop it spreading.

Diagnosis was often made from symptoms in the field but sheep especially have a lot of other problems which can look like the lesions of foot-and-mouth disease.

'Pen-side' tests

The IAH is working on "pen-side" tests, currently at the prototype stage, which vets can use on the farm without the need to wait for lab results.

One detects the protein coat of the virus using a disposable device similar to a home pregnancy test. Another approach detects the genetic material of the virus.

The research is being funded by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the European Union.

The 2001 outbreak, the first in the UK since 1967, resulted in 6.5 million animals being slaughtered and cost the economy £8.5bn.