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Disease brings new animal curbs Farmers cope with new clampdown
(about 16 hours later)
Livestock movement restrictions have been reinstated in Scotland following the confirmation of a new case of foot-and-mouth disease in England. Farmers across Scotland have been dealing with the consequences of the current ban on moving livestock.
Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said it was necessary to reintroduce restrictions following the Surrey case. It was reinstated on Wednesday after confirmation of a new case of foot-and-mouth at a farm in Surrey.
Curbs have only just been eased after a previous outbreak in southern England. Despite the ban, permission has been given for the only livestock sale in the UK to take place in Dingwall after animal welfare concerns were expressed.
The announcement came as precautionary tests carried out on a single sheep showing signs of illness at a Lanarkshire market proved negative. There has also been some relaxation of the ban in Scotland for animals moving direct to slaughter and for milking.
Mr Lochhead told the Scottish Parliament that movement restrictions had been reinstated from 1500 BST in the light of the new case near Egham in Surrey. The news of the confirmed case in Egham, Surrey comes just a week after Britain was declared free of the disease.
The minister said: "Today's confirmation of disease is a gut-wrenching body blow for the Scottish livestock industry and the red meat sector. Preliminary tests indicated that the strain was the same as that found in the county last month.
here are many questions to be answered both on how the disease came to be on this farm and, more importantly, where else it may have gone Jim McLaren,NFUS president If it is the same strain as the previous outbreak, that gives us an idea that hopefully this may be contained in the Surrey area Richard LochheadSecretary for rural affairs
"Given the uncertainty over source and spread of disease, I have from 3pm today on veterinary advice reintroduced a movement ban." A suspected case of the disease in Lanark turned out to be negative, but livestock producers have been warned by the Animal Health Agency to be vigilant.
However, unlike the August ban prompted by previous cases in Surrey, Mr Lochhead said some movements would be allowed to continue. Scotland's secretary for rural affairs and the environment, Richard Lochhead, said work was continuing to establish the likelihood of the disease spreading from the Egham farm in Surrey.
These, he said, were the movement of dairy cows across public roads for milking, the movement of animals for emergency veterinary treatment and the movement of animals direct to slaughter, subject to some conditions. He said: "If it is the same strain as the previous outbreak, that gives us an idea that hopefully this may be contained in the Surrey area.
Jim McLaren, president of the National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS), said he was troubled by the fresh emergence of the disease. "But of course, we're not that far along yet and my job just now is to make sure that we can trace any cattle movement from the Surrey area to Scotland that may have occurred over the past few days and weeks."
He said: "There are many questions to be answered both on how the disease came to be on this farm and, more importantly, where else it may have gone. Disease outbreak
Vehicle wheels Farmers in the north of Scotland said news of the outbreak in England could not have come at a worse time as tens of thousands of sheep and cattle are normally shipped from island communities to the mainland in September and October.
"The next few hours and days are going to be critical to understand what kind of disease situation we are facing. Animal welfare concerns led to a special exemption being given to Dingwall and Highland Marts to sell 3,500 lambs, sent for sale from the Western Isles.
"We need to unwind any restrictions as soon as possible but at the same time make sure we don't risk the disease spreading anywhere else." However, those lambs are only a fraction of the 17,000 that should have been auctioned on Thursday.
Restrictions were put in place at Lawrie and Symington agricultural centre in Lanark, South Lanarkshire, amid concerns over a sheep which had shown signs of illness. The marts' Kenny McKenzie said buyers would also have permission to transport the lambs from the sale.
However, the Scottish Government announced at 1900 BST that the animal had tested negative for foot-and-mouth disease. He said: "Today's sale is only for today. It is the only one in UK as far as we know, unless there are other marts in a similar position as ourselves.
Vets later confirmed a negative test for foot-and-mouth "Buyers can move the lambs on after today's sale, but only those from the islands can be moved to England."
No-one was being allowed into or out of the site for a time, with people's shoes and vehicle wheels being disinfected. Major impact
Access restrictions at the site were lifted with confirmation of test results. However, the disease outbreak has led to the cancellation of the Dectomax Kelso Ram Sales in southern Scotland.
A Scottish Government spokesman stressed that any animal with unusual symptoms had to be reported and subject to investigation. More than 6,000 rams were set to be auctioned at the Springfield Park event on Friday.
He said: "During the August outbreak there were over 130 such investigations mostly in England but a handful in Scotland. Organisers said it was now "very unlikely" they would be able to hold the event at a later date this year.
"Initial testing proved negative as did subsequent tests. Ron Wilson, secretary of the Border Union Agricultural Society, said the renewed restrictions would have a major impact.
"This is what we mean by strict vigilance - looking at every case including the one at Lanark today - however slight the suspicions - and following this up meticulously." "It is certainly a big blow for us but I think in the long-term it is a very serious blow for the farming industry," he said.
Hunter Murray, a director of Lawrie and Symington, said the sheep underwent a standard check after it had arrived at the two-day sale of pedigree sheep. "It is very serious for sheep and anything related to that."
He said a veterinary inspector was not entirely happy with the animal and called in the government vets for a second opinion.