News

Defra confirmed yesterday that Bluetongue has been found on two premises, one near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and one near Ashford, Kent. These cases are within the current Bluetongue Protection Zone. In line with the UK Bluetongue Control Strategy and EU legislation, Control Zones have been put in place around these two new cases, while investigations are undertaken to determine the disease situation. The existing Protection Zone has also been extended accordingly. For more details please...

DEFRA have announced today that a 3 km Foot and Mouth Temporary Control Zone has been put in place around a premises near Rye, East Sussex. This is a precautionary measure following a veterinary assessment of suspect signs of disease in sheep. Laboratory tests are in progress and there is no timetable for receiving results. Should there be any further news, we will update this website.

Markets within the Bluetongue Control and Protection Zones will be permitted from midnight Sunday 14 October. The movement of susceptible animals from within the Control and Protection Zones to approved slaughterhouses outside the Bluetongue Zones will also be permitted from this time. Conditions apply and markets within the FMD Risk Area will remain closed. From Monday, slaughterhouses outside the Bluetongue Zones will be able to apply to the Meat Hygiene Service to be approved to take...

On 10th October Defra announced that the existing Bluetongue Control and Protection Zones are being extended following confirmation of further cases of Bluetongue in Essex. The UK Bluetongue Control Strategy and EU legislation require that the zones to be extended due to the proximity of these cases to the boundary of the existing Control Zone. For more information please click here....

It has been confirmed that the 2007 Pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review will be presented by Alistair Darling, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the House of Commons on Tuesday 9th October. It was anticipated that this would occur later in the month, but it seems that is the final day when Gordon Brown could call a general election for 1st November. For further information please see the BBC News website....

Defra has confirmed that with effect from 08.15 this morning (3rd October) the Foot and Mouth Temporary Control Zone imposed near Haywards Heath on the border of East and West Sussex has been revoked.

Defra has today (29th September) carried out a further Foot and Mouth Disease related slaughter on suspicion on a farm in Surrey. This seemingly follows clinical examination of animals located on land within the existing FMD Protetcion Zone. No timetable has been given for laboratory results of tests carried out.

Defra has confirmed this afternoon (27th September) that Bluetongue has been declared as an official outbreak. For further information please log into CAAV Members' Documents. To view Defra's news release, please click here.

6.20 p.m. Defra has confirmed this evening (27th September) that the FMD Temporary Control Zone set up around a premises near Maidenhead has now been lifted. In addition, they have confirmed that a fifth case of Bluetongue has been found on a fourth premises near Burstall, Suffolk. Epidemiological investigations are still ongoing to establish whether the disease is "circulating".