Farm disease takes hold

A case has been confirmed on a farm at Meigh, Armagh

Foot-and-mouth disease has spread to more parts of the UK with officials admitting any hope of containing the virus have disappeared.

A suspected case in Northern Ireland was confirmed as a definite outbreak at lunchtime on Thursday.

Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister Brid Rodgers said it was on a farm in Meigh, south Armagh where suspect sheep were slaughtered on Wednesday night.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has already revealed the first confirmed cases in Scotland, at a farm near Lockerbie, and one in Canonbie in Dumfries and Galloway.

With a new case at a farm in the Longtown area of Carlisle, the total confirmed cases of the highly-contagious disease stands at 31.

The latest event to be hit by the crisis is the Crufts Dog Show, which the Kennel Club has now postponed.

And the Forestry Commission closed all of its forests to the public as a precaution.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown told colleagues that hopes the outbreak could be contained were not valid.

Emergency measures

Livestock movement ban extended

Horse racing suspended

Ireland v Wales rugby postponed

National parks closed

Access to Scottish Mountains suspended

Reservoir sites in Wales closed to public

Marwell Zoo closed

But he said there was no evidence of anything being spread since restrictions on the movement of livestock had been put in place.

"We would expect to see a battery of cases coming through in the last few days and perhaps the next few days as well, because of the incubation period."

He insisted the export ban on meat and dairy products could be expected to persist for some time, saying: "Some countries require a ban for six months.

"Until we can convince the veterinary officials who advise the European Commission and the other member states that we are disease free then we will not be able to export."

The UK's chief veterinary officer Jim Scudamore said cases were expected to be confirmed from Bishop Auckland, Co Durham and Dumfries.

There are fears the foot-and-mouth outbreak may have spread to the Irish Republic.

Almost 250 sheep suspected of being infected were taken to an abattoir in Roscommon from a farm in Northern Ireland.

Click here to see map of confirmed cases

Mr Scudamore said new outbreaks should not interrupt plans for licensed slaughter at abattoirs of disease-free livestock, the arrangements for which could be in place on Friday.

Baroness Hayman said farmers may be able to apply for temporary licenses to move uninfected livestock over the weekend with those licenses being granted on Monday.

Mr Brown refused to put a date on the eradication of the disease and insisted it was important to learn the lesson of 1967 when complacency after it was thought the disease was eradicated led to a fresh outbreak.

On Wednesday, the Irish Premier Bertie Ahern held talks with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair about how to prevent contamination reaching Ireland.

The disease has not been seen on the island of Ireland for 60 years.

Fears of disease spreading have led France to announce that an additional 30,000 sheep which came into contact with British animals are to be destroyed.

This is on top of a cull of 20,000 sheep.

Ban extended

The government has extended the ban on livestock movement around the UK until at least 16 March and has announced a £170m farmers' compensation package.

Under the licensing scheme, cattle and sheep will be held at sterilised collection centres, from which all farmers will be barred, before being sent for slaughter.

Pigs, which are more likely to carry the disease, will only be sent directly to abattoirs.

Mr Scudamore said further suspected outbreaks were being investigated in areas as far apart as Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire, and Lewdown, Devon.

But the chief vet told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the scheme would be safe despite continued outbreaks, saying: "We've got more in the pipeline - these are all linked to movements before we put the complete ban on 23 February."

And he admitted that foot-and-mouth experts were carrying out a "risk assessment" to decide whether it was necessary to slaughter wild animals such as foxes and deer to prevent the spread of the disease.

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