Update on the H.S. This Week. Foot and Mouth Outbreak Spending

Hey folks,

It seems that Britain officially has a full blown outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease. According to Reuters-Foot and mouth outbreak spreads to second UK farm By Kate Kelland1 hour, 5 minutes ago

A second herd of cattle in southern Britain has contracted foot and mouth disease, the government said on Tuesday, raising fears that the highly damaging animal virus is spreading.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said culling of animals had already begun at the farm, which was within a 10-km radius (6 mile) protection zone set up around a farm where foot and mouth cases were first found last week.

The outbreak poses an immediate threat to the British livestock industry, whose meat exports are worth $1 billion a year.

"The chief veterinary officer will confirm shortly ... that the tests that were done overnight on the samples taken ... confirm foot and mouth," Benn told BBC television.

"We've got to keep on top of this outbreak and make sure it doesn't spread anywhere else."

Doesn’t seem like you did a good job of that already. According to CNN-2nd UK disease outbreak confirmed

Confirmation of the second case comes a day after the European Union said it would restrict all live animals, fresh meat and milk products from mainland Great Britain.

Laboratory results Friday confirmed the first outbreak of the disease was found in cattle at a farm in Surrey County, England.

Culling of the 38 infected cattle in Surrey was completed Saturday, DEFRA said in a posting on its Web site. Cattle on two additional sites that together make up the enterprise and animals on an adjacent farm were also culled.

One of the additional cattle tested positive for the illness, it said.

Now I asked a question that noone has been able to answer yet.

“OK. Outbreak in 2001 linked to them messing with this disease. Outbreak today, due to them messing with this disease. Why continue to mess with this disease? I do not understand the logic. If someone out there can explain to me the reason they keep doing this, please enlighten me. Logic dictates to me, that this is a very bad and VERY contagious disease that can be carried on the wind. Why not just leave this alone?”

The laboratories, which store foot-and-mouth disease for use in vaccines, are shared between the Institute for Animal Health (IAH), a diagnostic and research center, and pharmaceutical company Merial Animal Health, whose work includes manufacturing vaccines.

Both organizations use the strain of the virus detected in slaughtered cattle at the first farm, but both have insisted there was no evidence of breaches in biosecurity at their labs.

"Merial managing director David Biland said Monday the company had been manufacturing vaccines for 15 years under strict adherence to quality control standards and never had such a problem, but welcomed the investigation and would comply with it.

I do understand the process of using disease to assist in making vaccines. But if you have already caused an outbreak once, then would you not look into CHANGING the way you do things? Of course these Labs are going to comply. They CAUSED this. All I’m saying is that there must be a better way.
Peter

Souces:
Reuters-Foot and mouth outbreak spreads to second UK farm
CNN-2nd UK disease outbreak confirmed