Cows test positive for disease

Defra has imposed restrictions on cattle movements on neighbouring farms

Six cattle on a farm in Cornwall have tested positive for a disease which can be passed to humans.

They are the first cases of Brucellosis in England in 10 years.

Landare Farm near Liskeard, together with another nearby farm, have been placed under quarantine says the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The disease causes cattle to miscarry and in humans causes undulant fever, which can have flu-like symptoms.

BRUCELLOSIS Causes abortion in pregnant cows Vets, farmers, meat inspectors, abattoir workers most at risk Causes mild flu-like illness, while others experience recurrent or chronic fever, which can be very serious and last several years Last case in England was 1993

Jo Young, spokeswoman for south west regional National Farmers' Union, said: "It's easily containable. It's not foot and mouth.

"It's very unfortunate for the farmer concerned, but until we know more there is nothing to panic about."

Small risk

Farmer Gerald Mitchell said he had no idea how the disease got to the farm.

He said: "The neighbours have been upset because we're all one big happy family round here.

"But there's no need to worry about because it won't go any further. Or at least I hope it won't."

The main risk is to farmers and vets because Brucellosis can be passed to humans if they have contact with infected animals.

It can also be passed by contaminated animal products such as untreated milk, but most milk in the UK is now pasteurised so the Food Standards Agency says the risk is very small.

The agency also advises that any possible risk from meat products is even smaller as meat infected with Brucellosis has not been reported as a source of human illness and proper cooking kills the bacteria.

However, no milk from the infected farm has gone into the human food chain because the cows are used to suckle beef calves and not provide milk for dairy products.

Milk tests

In humans the disease causes a mild flu-like illness, while others experience recurrent or chronic fever, which can be very serious and last several years.

Defra says it discovered the case of the disease near Liskeard after carrying out a post-mortem examination on an aborted calf foetus.

Five cows and a bull were humanely killed on Thursday and the whole herd of 80 animals will be put down on Friday.

Defra has imposed restrictions on cattle movements on eight neighbouring farms, but milk tests have shown no evidence that the disease is currently present.

There were two cases of the disease last year in Scotland which were linked with imported cattle from the Republic of Ireland.

Brucellosis was "potentially very nasty and unpleasant," but was only "problematic" for people who were in direct contact with it, such as vets.