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Foot-and-mouth strain identified Foot-and-mouth strain identified
(20 minutes later)
The strain of foot-and-mouth disease found at a Surrey farm has been identified, Defra has said.The strain of foot-and-mouth disease found at a Surrey farm has been identified, Defra has said.
The strain is one not normally found in animals and is linked to vaccines. The strain detected in infected cattle is identical to that used at the Institute for Animal Health, at Pirbright, three miles from the farm.
It is identical to the strain used at the Institute for Animal Health at Pirbright, three miles from the farm. Defra could not say the laboratory was the source but has increased the size of the protection and surveillance zones covering farms in the area.
Defra could not say the laboratory was the source but it has increased the size of the protection and surveillance zones covering farms in the area. An urgent assessment of biosecurity at the institute, has already started.
An assessment of biosecurity at the Pirbright institute, where research into foot-and-mouth is conducted, had already been started. Precautionary measures
The UK's chief vet and Prime Minister Gordon Brown have both said one of the possible sources of the outbreak was the Pirbright laboratory. In a statement Defra said : "The present indications are that this strain is a 01 BFS67-like virus, isolated in the 1967 foot and mouth disease outbreak in Great Britain."
The BBC understands that on the same site as the lab is a private company which has suspended manufacture of the vaccine. The vaccine batch which used the strain was being produced by pharmaceutical company Merial Animal Health, which shares Pirbright with the Institute of Animal Health (IAH). Merial has halted vaccine production on a precautionary basis, Defra said.
Defra said in its statement: "This incident remains at an early stage. It is too soon to reach any firm conclusions.
"All potential sources of the virus will continue to be investigated.
"All other precautionary measures announced yesterday remain in place."
Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds said it was too soon to say anything conclusive about the source of the virus.
She has ordered a single protection zone to encompass both the infected farm premises and the Pirbright site, with a single 10km radius surveillance zone.
Andrew Biggs, of the British Cattle Veterinary Association, said: "It doesn't surprise me greatly. The proximity of this farm to Pirbright was something some of us had noticed."
Leading microbiologist Hugh Pennington told the BBC that identification of the type of strain was a "tribute to the strength of the science of foot-and-mouth".
Paul Temple, of the National Farmers' Union, said he was keeping an open mind over the situation.
There have been further culls of other herds of cattle surrounding the farm as a precautionary measure.There have been further culls of other herds of cattle surrounding the farm as a precautionary measure.
Paul Temple, of the National Farmers' Union, said: "It will take several days before we know exactly what the situation is. Until we know definitively I remain open-minded." Some 64 cattle have been culled at Wolford farm, near Guildford, after testing positive for foot-and-mouth.