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Foot-and-mouth tests 'positive' Foot-and-mouth tests 'positive'
(about 1 hour later)
Blood tests on sheep on a Surrey farm suggest exposure to foot-and-mouth disease, officials have said.Blood tests on sheep on a Surrey farm suggest exposure to foot-and-mouth disease, officials have said.
Preliminary tests were undertaken at the premises within the protection zone near to the latest outbreak.Preliminary tests were undertaken at the premises within the protection zone near to the latest outbreak.
A spokesman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the farm's livestock would be slaughtered and further tests made.A spokesman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the farm's livestock would be slaughtered and further tests made.
Initial tests on pigs culled on another farm proved negative and full results will be released on Tuesday. Initial tests on pigs culled on another farm proved negative. Full results will be released on Tuesday.
The pigs were on a farm near two premises infected by foot-and-mouth and were culled as a precaution.The pigs were on a farm near two premises infected by foot-and-mouth and were culled as a precaution.
'Utterly devastating''Utterly devastating'
Prof Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of microbiology at the University of Aberdeen, said the possible new outbreak would delay efforts to wipe out the disease.Prof Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of microbiology at the University of Aberdeen, said the possible new outbreak would delay efforts to wipe out the disease.
"It just puts back the day we can declare this is over," he said."It just puts back the day we can declare this is over," he said.
Shadow Defra secretary Peter Ainsworth said the news was "disturbing".Shadow Defra secretary Peter Ainsworth said the news was "disturbing".
"All of us, especially in the farming community, have been hoping that the outbreak is now over.
I'm so disappointed that it has all broken out again Derrick Pride, Surrey farmer hit by last month's outbreak
"It was caused by negligence by the government and its agencies. We have to hope that the government will now be competent in dealing with the clean-up," he said.
Farmer Derrick Pride, from Elstead, Surrey, had his herd slaughtered in the August outbreak of foot-and-mouth.Farmer Derrick Pride, from Elstead, Surrey, had his herd slaughtered in the August outbreak of foot-and-mouth.
"It's utterly devastating," he said."It's utterly devastating," he said.
"I don't know how you can take it really. I'm so disappointed that it has all broken out again.""I don't know how you can take it really. I'm so disappointed that it has all broken out again."
Britain's biggest sale of breeding lambs has been cancelled because of animal movement restrictions in place to deal with the Surrey outbreak. Transport ban
Some 30,000 young sheep were due to be sold in the annual two-day auction in Hawes, in the Yorkshire Dales. The restrictions on movement that followed the latest outbreak have affected farmers across the whole of the country.
If I don't sell my cattle it means I have to keep feeding them and that costs money Matthew BainbridgeCumbrian farmer class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6994897.stm">Misery for farmers across UK In the Yorkshire Dales, a two-day annual lamb auction - one of the biggest in Britain - was cancelled due to animal movement restrictions.
The event usually sees £2m exchange hands and is the biggest pay day in the calendar for about 500 local farmers.The event usually sees £2m exchange hands and is the biggest pay day in the calendar for about 500 local farmers.
But since the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, livestock cannot be traded or moved unless it is for slaughter.
'Encouraging signal'
The BBC's Richard Wells said farmers would be left desperately short of money.
Hotels, guesthouses and pubs would also suffer, he said.
The movement ban - described by farmers as "heartbreaking" - was put in place across Britain when a case of the disease was discovered in cattle on land in Egham last Wednesday.
It was later confirmed on a second farm.
Organisers of the Masham Sheep Fair, in North Yorkshire, have said they are to go ahead with their event on the 29 and 30 September, despite the foot-and-mouth restrictions meaning sheep cannot attend.
On Saturday, the government's chief vet lifted a ban on farmers across most of England from taking livestock to slaughter, considered by farmers to be an "encouraging signal".
However, a full ban on any movement remains in place in the surveillance zone around the two infected sites in Surrey.
A 3km (1.8-mile) protection zone has been set up around the farmland, with a 10km (6.2-mile) surveillance zone encircling it.
Zones are imposed around places where outbreaks have been confirmed and related sitesEnlarge MapZones are imposed around places where outbreaks have been confirmed and related sitesEnlarge Map
Laboratory results have established the virus found at the latest outbreak to be the same strain as the one in August. However, organisers of the Masham Sheep Fair, in North Yorkshire, have said they will go ahead with their event on the 29 and 30 September, despite foot-and-mouth restrictions meaning sheep cannot be taken there.
Reports suggested last month's outbreak was connected with the Pirbright laboratory site, shared by two occupants - the government's Institute for Animal Health (IAH) and Merial Animal Health. On Saturday, the government's chief vet lifted a ban on farmers across most of England from taking livestock to slaughter.
Estimates of the cost of the latest outbreak have been put at almost £10m a day. However, livestock can still not be traded or moved for any other reason.
Police and trading standards officials were continuing to monitor the area following reports that closure signs on footpaths had been torn down and people had been side-stepping disinfectant mats. A full ban on any movement remains in place in the surveillance zone around the two infected sites in Surrey.
A spokesman for Surrey trading standards said although no arrests had been made over the weekend, officials were looking into reports that horses had been moved illegally in and out of the protection zone. A 3km (1.8-mile) protection zone has been set up around the farmland, with a 10km (6.2-mile) surveillance zone encircling it.