Kiwi vets in Britain to help fight epidemic

By BRIDGET CARTER

Disposable overalls, wet weather gear and gumboots will be issued to kiwi vets in Britain fighting foot and mouth disease as a way to limit risks of bringing the epidemic back home. Eight vets from throughout New Zealand were flown to Britain today to help fight the foot and mouth epidemic, responsible for the two-week closure of livestock markets in 15 European countries.

They join five other kiwi vets already in Britain.

At Auckland airport today, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's exotic disease response programme co-ordinator Matthew Stone said there is a chance the vets could bring the foot and mouth epidemic back to New Zealand.

"That is a risk we are considering, but we are putting in place measures to manage that risk."

He says any of the vet's clothing that comes in contact with a farm or livestock will be destroyed.

They will also have a seven day stand down period away from a farm or livestock. One of the vets, who lives on a farm, will have to stay in other accommodation during that time.

New Zealand is obligated to send vet resources to Britain after signing the International Veterinary Reserves agreement in the 1990s, along with Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

However, this is the first time New Zealand has participated since the agreement was signed.

New Zealand's commitment is ten vets for one month, while the other countries contribute 20.

Dr Stone says: "If there is an outbreak in New Zealand we can call on the vets from these other countries."

The Kiwi vets are likely to be going from farm to farm, checking for signs of the disease.

He says experts in Britain believe the disease will peak in about three weeks, and the length of time that the New Zealand vets are there at this stage is flexible.

MAF's animal biosecurity director Derek Belton says for New Zealanders going overseas, accurate completion of their arrival forms over whether they have been on a risk property is important.

"We are never over confident those steps will be affective (but) the experience in the past is that they have always worked.