FMD BTV Update 1530 16th Oct 07 from Stakeholder Conference, London

FMD

If there is no backward step in the next few hours the Restricted Area will revert to normal non FMD regulation at midnight. The Risk Area remains in place and rules for the sale of meat to other European Countries remain. The Risk Area is under constant review.

IP 5 was the link between the first 2 cases and the September outbreak.

200 reported cases have been negated and in the last 6 weeks 2 million animals have been subjected to veterinary inspection without finding a case. There will be an ad hoc meeting in Brussels of the SCoFCAH Committee on animal health on Friday. The main GB shopping list will be:

·        Allow animals to be slaughtered, for sale into the EU, in plants situated within the area 200 km from Surrey.

·        Reduce the size of the 200 km area.

·        Allow multiple pick up for animals going for slaughter for sale into the EU.

·        Reduction of the residency period and standstill period on animals for slaughter for sale into the EU.

BTV

41 IPs of which 8 have infected sheep. Cattle are the sentinels for the disease as midges prefer cattle to sheep. One herd of cattle has 50% of its animals infected though this figure was derived from blood sampling as there were few clinical signs in the cattle. 1 infected sheep has been destroyed on welfare grounds

The figure of 41 IPs does not show how many animals are infected. The DEFRA website will be altered to show how many cases are in sheep and how many in cattle.