Standing Committee (preliminary information)
Amendments to Commission Decision
During this afternoon's meeting of the Standing Committee, a few amendments to Decision 2007/552/EC have been agreed by Member States. However, no major changes have taken place.
Regionalisation
In particular, no changes have been made in relation to regionalisation of the UK, meaning that dispatch of susceptible animals and products thereof (as specified in the Decision) from the whole Great Britain remain banned.
National measures on withdrawal of products
Some discussions have taken place in relation with the national measures taken in France in order to withdraw from the market meat (and milk) and non-heat-treated products thereof produced in Great Britain after 15 July and already distributed. It is evident that there is an inconsistency among the measures put in place by the different Member States at this regard.
The Commission is not going to impose a common guide on how to tackle this issue. However, it is the (informal) opinion of the Commission Services that withdrawing the products already distributed might be an excessive measure due to the fact that: - it has not been done in similar cases in the past, - it is not done in the case of ban on imports with shipments already on their way, - such withdrawals might give the impression to the public that there is a problem of public health while only animal health is concerned.
Next Standing Committee
Next meeting should take place on 23 August.
National measures UK (movements for slaughter)
A new licence for movements has been agreed and starting from tomorrow movements of susceptible animals directly to slaughterhouses and collection of dead animals in farms will be allowed also in England and Wales, with the exception of animals originating from protection and surveillance zones. Strict conditions apply to the movements. Other movements will remain blocked in the whole UK.
Virus involved in the second outbreak
Analyses have confirmed today that the virus isolated from animals of the second outbreak is the same as the one involved in the first outbreak.
Additional animals culled
On the basis of a suspicion, British authorities have ordered today culling of animals farmed on a holding located next to the one where the disease was confirmed yesterday.
Press release DEFRA UK 8 August
GB movement ban - limited movements to be permitted outside of surveillance and protection zones
The ban on movements of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) susceptible animals remains in place throughout Great Britain. However, in accordance with the contingency plan, a veterinary assessment of the risk from licensing these moves has been carried out. The decision has been taken to permit the movement of live animals direct to slaughter, and the collection of dead animals from farms from 00.01 hours on Thursday 9 August. These general licences will only apply outside of the Protection and Surveillance Zones.
In the view of the Chief Veterinary Officer, the emerging conclusions of epidemiological investigations, and the on-going surveillance and testing indicate that there is a low, but not negligible, risk of the spread of FMD from the Protection and Surveillance Zones to the rest of the country.
Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds said:
"My assessment is that these licensed moves outside of the Protection and Surveillance Zones present a low risk provided the conditions are strictly followed. I continue to urge all farmers to take the highest level of biosecurity measures and to follow the conditions of these licences in every respect.
"I have today ordered culling on suspicion of Foot and Mouth Disease on one farm adjacent to the second infected premises in the Protection Zone confirmed yesterday. Test results this morning have revealed that the strain of the virus found on the second infected premises is 01 BFS67-like strain. This is the same as the strain identified on the first farm on 4th August .This is a developing situation, and our surveillance activity is on-going."
Movements and collections will only be permitted to take place in accordance with strict licensing conditions, including biosecurity measures on-farm, in transport, and at abattoirs. Only those abattoirs that meet the specific conditions requiring stringent biosecurity, and which have appropriate Meat Hygiene Service inspection and supervision, will be permitted to accept livestock for slaughter.
Notes to editors
- The exact details of current Protection and Surveillance Zones can be found on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/
- The Defra public helpline is currently operating from 6am-10pm. The public should call: 08459 335577.
- Advice from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) is that foot and mouth disease is not a public health threat.
- FMD is a disease of cattle and very few human cases have ever been recorded even though the disease is endemic in animals in many parts of the world including Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Foot and mouth disease only crosses the species barrier from cattle to human with very great difficulty. The last human case reported in Britain occurred in 1966. The disease in humans, in the very rare cases that have occurred, is mild, short-lived and requires no medical treatment.
Zdroj: UECBV