Suspect N-Irish samples free of FMD
Samples, taken from pig meat from a slaughterhouse in the county of Antrim, Northern Ireland, are free of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), the British Agricultural Department has said.
The suspicion of FMD was risen early Tuesday morning, January 9th, after veterinary checks revealed foot lesions in pigs in a slaughterhouse in Antrim.
The changes could be an indication for a FMD outbreak, but also for Swine Vesicular Disease , for which the samples are also tested.
The samples have been sent for tests to the Institute for Animal Health. Both the abattoir and the farm of origin have been quarantined.
Heavy losses
In 2001, a FMD outbreak in the UK led to a loss of many animals; total losses approached altogether €12 billion. In Northern Ireland at the time, over 50,000 animals had to be culled, mostly sheep.
Only days ago, FMD was discovered in Israel, in goat and sheep. No outbreaks in pig herds have been recorded.
Related website:
• Institute for Animal Health
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