New foot-and-mouth outbreak in Northeast England

LONDON - British farmers warned of a new hot spot in Britain's battle against foot-and-mouth in northeastern England yesterday, saying 17 farms had been hit in just 10 days in the previously disease-free area.

Rob Simpson, spokesman for the National Farmers' Union in the region, said the highly infectious livestock disease was spreading across the region in north Yorkshire like wildfire.

"This could definitely be a new hot spot. I think the figure is 17 now in the Settle/Skipton area. It is extremely worrying, not least because the disease is not staying in a very small area. There is massive concern and there are a lot of farms being taken out already."

He said officials were trying to work out where the outbreak had come from. They could not rule out that farmers may have let their guard slip against the disease.

The Agriculture Ministry said the outbreak was localised.

Almost three million animals have been slaughtered to contain the disease.

- REUTERS

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World organisation for animal health

UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease

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