News

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Defra today announced that Bluetongue virus has been detected in an imported cow on a premises near Middlesbrough which is outside the existing Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones. Please click here to view the news release from Defra.

It has been confirmed by government vets that the Avian Influenza found in turkeys in Suffolk is the virulent H5N1 strain. Further information will be posted on the website as it is received.

We have just been advised by DEFRA that a second larger Temporary Control Zone has been established with a wider cordon around the Redgrave Park Farms site covering a much larger area of Suffolk and Norfolk in which poultry birds are to be kept isolated from contact with other birds. Please click here to view the declaration which revokes and replaces the one made at 21:00 last night....

Further restrictions are being put in place in a wider area surrounding the infected premises near Diss as a precautionary measure. A wider Restricted Zone has been established in addition to the controls put in place yesterday; i.e. the 3 km Protection Zone and 10 km Surveillance Zone around the Infected Premises. The new Restricted Zone covers much of Norfolk and the whole of Suffolk. For more information please click here....

Defra today confirmed that the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Surveillance Zone will be lifted on Monday 5 November subject to there being no change in the disease situation and the completion of the necessary surveillance testing. Please click here for further information.

Secretary of State for the Environment, Hilary Benn, today announced that Defra is to issue a tender for a Bluetongue vaccine bank. Please click here for further details.

Please click here to view the latest boundaries for the Bluetongue control and protection zone after a slight revision today.

DEFRA has announced that there has been a revocation of the FMD Temporary Control Zone declared at 9.40 on 15th October 2007, regarding suspect premises at Beckley, East Sussex.

DEFRA has this evening announced new general licences for pig movements to take effect from 00.01 on 9th October. Details can be seen on the DEFRA website.

DEFRA today announced the following package in recognition of foot and mouth livestock movement restrictions. A one off payment to hill farmers totalling £8.5m at a rate equivalent to 30 per cent of the 2007 HFA payments DEFRA to meet all costs of National Fallen Stock Scheme in FMD high risk area. £2m for meat promotion and £1m to farming charity. Breaches of cross compliance and agri-environment schemes directly due to FMD will not be penalised. DEFRA is seeking Brussels agreement to...

Defra has established a further Foot and Mouth Disease Temporary ControlZone

Following the slaughter on suspicion yesterday, the results of preliminary laboratory tests have found that Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) was present at a premises near Wraysbury in Surrey, which makes it the eighth case of FMD. Some small alterations to the Protection Zone and Surveillance Zone have been made as a result. For further information please see Defra's website.

Defra has this afternoon (26th September) confirmed that positive test results for Bluetongue have been received regarding a fourth animal situated on a third premises near to Ipswich, Suffolk. This further infected case still does not provide sufficient evidence to allow Defra to confirm an "active outbreak" and further work is continuing to see whether the disease is "circulating". Please click here to view Defra's Information Bulletin....

2.35 p.m. Defra has confirmed that a further Temporary Control Zone in relation to FMD has been put in place around a premises near Maidenhead, Berkshire which is located within the existing FMD surveillance zone. Further laboratory test results are awaited. To view the current map showing the TCZ, please see Defra's website.

At 9.35 a.m. today, DEFRA has confirmed that a further Temporary Control Area has been set up comprising the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk and the Unitary Authorities of Leicester City Council, Luton, Milton Keynes, Nottingham City Council, Peterborough, Rutland and Southend on Sea. The declaration made at 17.30 on 25th September and coming into force at 17.30 on 25th September is revoked....

5.00 p.m. Defra has confirmed that a third animal has tested positive for Bluetongue on a premises near Lowestoft in Suffolk. Defra has stated in its News Release that there is still no "sufficient evidence" to confirm an active Bluetongue outbreak.

Defra has confirmed this morning that with effect from 09.10 a.m. today the Temporary Control Zone around a premises in Petersfield which was put in place on 23rd September is revoked.

Defra has confirmed that positive results for FMD have been received regarding a herd of cattle which were subject to slaughter on suspicion earlier today on a farm in Englefield Green near Egham, within the existing Egham Protection Zone. This means there have now been seven infected premises since the initial outbreak on 3rd August. There have been minor changes made to the Protection Zone and Surveillance Zone which can be viewed on Defra's website....

6.45 p.m.: It has been reported on BBC News24 this evening (24th September) that a second case of Bluetongue has been confirmed on the same farm as the first case. Some 70 cattle on the farm have seemingly been tested. Defra has confirmed that "This is not sufficient evidence to confirm an outbreak of Bluetongue". For further information please see Defra's website.

Defra has confirmed that a further Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) has been imposed in Hampshire near to East Winterslow. The results of tests from the TCZ imposed yesterday at Rogate/Petersfield are still awaited. It is understood from BBC News 24 that there is to be a press conference at 3.30 this afternoon with Chief Veterinary Officer, Debby Reynolds.

DEFRA has today allowed new general licences for limited movements outside the Surveillance Zone under stringent conditions. The movements allowed are: - for pigs to move from breeding units to grower untis and to finishing units for welfare reasons - for susceptible animals to be moved up to 3km between premises under the same occupation or along/across a road for any reason - cows for calving and cows with calves to be moved up to 50km between premises in the same occupation. For full details...

The Temporary Control Zone imposed yesterday between Solihull and Birmingham airport has been revoked this evening after tests for FMD proved negative.

3.50 p.m. Defra has just announced the imposition of a further 3 km radius Temporary Control Zone following a suspected FMD case on a premises in Solihull. Laboratory test results are awaited. To view the Declaration of the TCZ and the associated map please see Defra's website.

Debby Reynolds, Chief Veterinary Officer, has made a plea today (17th September) that farmers check their stock twice a day for symptoms of Foot and Mouth Disease. Laboratory tests received back today confirmed FMD virus antibodies were present in the cattle from the premises which was confirmed yesterday and that postmortem examination had found FMD lesions, some of which were more than 10 days old. The national movement ban remains in place, apart from the limited movements permitted outside...

DEFRA has now confirmed that the 2nd farm slaughter at Egham did test positive for Foot and Mouth, making the 4th positive case since 3rd August. The suspect case in Norfolk proved negative. DEFRA is working hard on potential arrangements for further licensed movements and will make announcements as the situation develops. At this stage, it is focusing on direct movement to slaughter and welfare issues. It would be helpful to know of any classes of animal welfare issue which members would expect...

Limited movements of animals susceptible to Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) are allowed under strict biosecurity arrangements to address immediate welfare issues, in line with the contingency plan. The national ban on movements of animals susceptible to FMD, announced earlier on 12 September, remains in place.Limited movements of animals susceptible to Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) are allowed under strict biosecurity arrangements to address immediate welfare issues, in line with the contingency...

It is understood that a sheep which was showing signs of ill health is being tested as a precautionary measure at the Lawrie and Symington run agricultural centre near Lanark. For further information regarding this, please see the BBC News website

Defra has this afternoon (12th September -15.25) imposed a 3 km Temporary Control Zone in Dereham in Norfolk following a suspected case of vesicular disease in pigs. Further information is awaited.

1.00 p.m. Further to the earlier imposition of a 10 km Temporary Control Zone, Defra officials have stated that the suspected case of Foot and Mouth Disease at Milton Park Farm, Stroude Road, near Egham in Surrey is a confirmed FMD outbreak. A pre-emptive slaughter is to be carried out at the farm. A national livestock movement ban has again been imposed. Further information is currently available on the BBC News website. 2.55 p.m.Further information has now also been published on Defra's...

Defra has put in place a 10 kilometre Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) in the Egham area of Surrey following a further suspected case of Foot and Mouth Disease. Further tests are being carried out. A Cobra emergency meeting is to take place chaired by Prime Minister Gordon Brown this afternoon at 5 p.m. To view the Declaration, please click here. To view the map of the TCZ, please click here....

DEFRA has quoted the Chief Vet as saying she is satisfied that Foot and Mouth Disease has been eradicated from Surrey. This has enabled the Surveillance Zone to be lifted from noon tomorrow, with all other UK restrictions imposed as control measures in the last five weeks also being lifted then. The HSE has reported that the most probable means by which the disease escaped from Pirbright was through a broken underground drain. It appears it was DEFRA's obligation to maintain that drain. DEFRA...

DEFRA confirmed today that all UK FMD restrictions will be lifted from noon on Saturday 8th September when the Surrey Surveillance Zone is removed, some five weeks after the start of the outbreak. From then: - the 20 day standstill rule will revert to the previous 6 day rule (13 in Scotland and 20 still for pigs) and existing 20 day periods need not be completed. - the recent rules for markets and shows will end, reverting to the pre-outbreak regime - the new restrictions on movements within...