Foot and Mouth Disease Important Information for Farmers and The Public
Following confirmation of Foot and Mouth disease at a farm in Surrey, Animal Health Officers from Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service are issuing this advice for the farming community and the general public in Warwickshire.
Foot and Mouth is an infectious viral disease that affects all cloven – hoofed animals, particularly cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, deer & camelids (eg camels, alpacas & llama). Horses are not affected but they can carry the virus and no other livestock are affected.
It is also extremely rare for humans to contract the disease. There are no implications for the human food chain.
Warwickshire Trading Standards has enacted its animal disease control plan and is working with DEFRA, the Animal Health Service and the National Farmers Union, to help ensure that everything is done to prevent the potential spread of the disease.
Mark Ryder, Head of Warwickshire Trading Standards Service said:
“The farming community and the general public should know that our service will do all it can to help prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth. We have already taken steps to cascade information and advice to farmers in the county, and in the coming days will continue to keep farmers as up to date as possible with matters here in Warwickshire.”
A national movement ban is currently in place to help prevent any possible spread of the disease. Cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, deer & camelids cannot be moved, the only exception being the movement of cows along the public highway for milking, and then only to cows moving from one part of a premises to another part of the same premises. The ban does not apply to horses except within a 3km protection zone around the infected premise.
All livestock markets and other animal gatherings in Warwickshire have been cancelled for an indefinite period. Henley market is continuing to operate as it is not a market at which susceptible animals are sold.
Trading Standards Animal Health officers are urging all livestock farmers to ensure enhanced biosecurity is maintained on their premises and to minimise visitors to livestock farm premises.
The countryside remains open and rights of way, other than on an infected premise itself are not currently affected. It is hoped that no closures will be required but this matter will remain under review.
Apart from the Surrey premises, no other cases have been reported and all other test results to date have been negative.
Warwickshire farmers requiring further help or advice are asked to phone 01926 414040.
Warwickshire Trading Standards will investigate any suspected illegal movements of cattle, sheep & pigs etc. and anyone with information should call 01926 414040.
More information is available on our website: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards