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| Second cull raises disease fears | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Test results to establish whether there has been a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Surrey are being anxiously awaited by farmers. | |
| Between 50 and 100 cows - from a farm within the 3km protection zone set up around the farm where the first outbreak occurred - have been culled. | Between 50 and 100 cows - from a farm within the 3km protection zone set up around the farm where the first outbreak occurred - have been culled. |
| Samples taken from the dead cattle are being analysed for the disease. | Samples taken from the dead cattle are being analysed for the disease. |
| Meanwhile, findings of an investigation into the cause of the first outbreak will also be revealed later. | Meanwhile, findings of an investigation into the cause of the first outbreak will also be revealed later. |
| Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said the latest discovery - not far from Wolford farm, near Guildford, the first infected location - showed "the benefits of the firm measures that we have taken to deal with this outbreak and stop its spread". | Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said the latest discovery - not far from Wolford farm, near Guildford, the first infected location - showed "the benefits of the firm measures that we have taken to deal with this outbreak and stop its spread". |
| "It was the surveillance team going round that noticed what could be the first clinical signs of foot-and-mouth," he told BBC Two's Newsnight programme. | "It was the surveillance team going round that noticed what could be the first clinical signs of foot-and-mouth," he told BBC Two's Newsnight programme. |
| Most farmers are very, very scared and all activity on farms has almost come to a standstill Farmer Laurence Matthews | |
| Officials set up a 3km (1.8 mile) protection zone and a surveillance zone with a minimum radius of 10km (6.2 miles) around the first site. | Officials set up a 3km (1.8 mile) protection zone and a surveillance zone with a minimum radius of 10km (6.2 miles) around the first site. |
| Microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington said people should not read too much into the second cull because the government would now be acting on even the "slightest whiff" of further infection. | Microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington said people should not read too much into the second cull because the government would now be acting on even the "slightest whiff" of further infection. |
| But farmer Laurence Matthews, who owns the land where the second possible outbreak struck, said the farmer whose cattle were culled, and his family, were "absolutely devastated". | |
| "We were starting to think that maybe this virus had been contained... now with this second outbreak this has set us back again," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | |
| "Most farmers... are very, very scared and all activity on farms has almost come to a standstill." | |
| He said the farmers' plight had been worsened by a lack of information, the failure to close all public footpaths in the protection zone and the inability to transport carcases from the farm to an incinerator because of a ban on movement. | |
| Responding to his concerns, Mr Benn said the issue of footpath closures would be investigated immediately. | |
| NFU President Peter Kendall said the second outbreak was bad news but not completely unexpected. | |
| He said efforts were under way to improve communication with farmers. | |
| Flood theory | Flood theory |
| Meanwhile, the findings of the investigation into the Wolford farm outbreak are also expected. | Meanwhile, the findings of the investigation into the Wolford farm outbreak are also expected. |
| It centres on two neighbouring laboratories in the village of Pirbright which had been using a strain of the virus for research and for vaccines. | It centres on two neighbouring laboratories in the village of Pirbright which had been using a strain of the virus for research and for vaccines. |
| The strain being used at both private vaccine manufacturer Merial and the government-funded Institute for Animal Health was discovered at Wolford farm - about four miles away. | The strain being used at both private vaccine manufacturer Merial and the government-funded Institute for Animal Health was discovered at Wolford farm - about four miles away. |
| FOOT-AND-MOUTH IN NUMBERS As a result of first outbreak, 97 cattle culled - 64 from infected premises, 33 from neighbouring premises. As a result of suspected outbreak, between 50-100 cattle on a second site culled111,000 farms across UK affected by movement banThat includes 10m cattle, 23m sheep and 5m pigs Send us your comments Outbreak 'nipped in bud' Lives on hold Ban 'could be lifted' | |
| Chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds has said it was possible recent floods may have contributed to an accidental release of the virus from one of the labs. | Chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds has said it was possible recent floods may have contributed to an accidental release of the virus from one of the labs. |
| It is thought contaminated water may have been incorrectly disposed of down a drain which subsequently overflowed during heavy rain and carried the contaminated water on to farmland. | |
| Mrs Reynolds said no decision had been made on vaccines for livestock, but 300,000 doses had been ordered from private firm Merial. | |
| Mr Benn, defending that decision, said: "In order to consider [vaccination] as an option, we've got to have the vaccine ready. | Mr Benn, defending that decision, said: "In order to consider [vaccination] as an option, we've got to have the vaccine ready. |
| "It's the best place we can go if we take the decision that we want to do it." | "It's the best place we can go if we take the decision that we want to do it." |
| He would not comment on the suggestion that Merial should be stripped of subsequent profits if it was found to be responsible. | He would not comment on the suggestion that Merial should be stripped of subsequent profits if it was found to be responsible. |
| Ban formalised | Ban formalised |
| Both Merial and the institute have denied any breach in biosecurity procedures, which are now being independently reviewed. | Both Merial and the institute have denied any breach in biosecurity procedures, which are now being independently reviewed. |
| The government has banned the movement of all livestock in England, Scotland and Wales while the European Commission has formalised a ban on British exports of meat, milk products and live animals. | The government has banned the movement of all livestock in England, Scotland and Wales while the European Commission has formalised a ban on British exports of meat, milk products and live animals. |
| Northern Ireland, which has imposed a ban on all cattle, sheep and pigs from Britain, has been excluded. | Northern Ireland, which has imposed a ban on all cattle, sheep and pigs from Britain, has been excluded. |
| Trading standards officers in Lincolnshire confirmed on Monday they were investigating two cases of alleged illegal movement of livestock in the county. | |
| The NFU has estimated the outbreak could cost "tens of millions of pounds", affecting not just farmers but related industries, such as abattoirs and meat packaging plants. | The NFU has estimated the outbreak could cost "tens of millions of pounds", affecting not just farmers but related industries, such as abattoirs and meat packaging plants. |
| Defra has set up a helpline in response to the latest outbreak on 08459 335577. | Defra has set up a helpline in response to the latest outbreak on 08459 335577. |