In January, Foot and Mouth Disease was confirmed in Germany and has since spread to Hungary and Slovakia. Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) affects cloven-hoofed animals and has a massive impact on animal health, as well as severe implications for farming due to being highly infectious.

In light of this, our National Technical Lead for Imports, Patricia Gonzalez, looked back on the 2001 outbreak and shared her thoughts…

The recent Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks in Germany, Slovakia, and close to the Austrian border in Hungary have prompted reflections on the 2001 outbreak in the UK. After over a decade with no cases in Europe, the disease has been confirmed in three countries since January, with DEFRA introducing additional restrictions to imports at Foot and mouth disease: latest situation – GOV.UK.

The 2001 outbreak, originally detected in an abattoir in Essex on the 19^th of February, spread rapidly across the UK from north to south, resulting in drastic measures being required to control the disease. The virus originated from a pig farm with several health infractions, including the use of unprocessed waste for feeding the animals, incorrect disposal of animal by-products and, most importantly, the failure to report a notifiable disease as soon as symptoms arose.

Although the virus is not transmissible to humans, it has a massive impact on animal health, resulting in painful lesions and a drastic decrease in productivity. In addition to the trade restrictions in the UK at the time, this was a significant agricultural crisis which had a devastating impact on the economy.

The only way to control the spread was imposing movement restrictions and introducing a mass culling policy which resulted in the slaughter of over 6 million cattle and sheep. The process became so challenging that the British Army had to be called for assistance with carcass disposals, to avoid any further spread. The increase of Official Controls on animal transportation and within slaughterhouses, resulted in a huge demand for Official Veterinarians, with these needing to be sourced from other countries, especially EU member states.

Following the outbreak, a rigorous investigation took place, concluding that the virus had likely been introduced from contaminated or illegally imported meat, which wasn’t properly treated before being fed to pigs. The UK faced another outbreak in August 2007, but this time the spread was rapidly controlled with only eight premises infected.

This chain of events highlights the importance of education and good practices in the farming sector, but also the need for thorough biosecurity measures. It shows how vital it is to have a prompt disease detection and effective strategies to control outbreaks, alongside robust controls in place at all times.

Our Border Control Posts serve as a vital defence against the introduction and spread of diseases that can endanger animal and public health. Without the work of knowledgeable professionals such as Portal Official Veterinarians, unsafe products could enter the food chain, which could have serious consequences for UK food production and trade.

With Foot and Mouth Disease affecting several countries in Europe, we need to ensure we have the necessary biosecurity measures in place to avoid the reintroduction of the virus or at least minimise its impact. We must continue to stay alert and follow the advice from DEFRA, including any additional import restrictions, to ensure we avoid any serious repercussions to our animal health status and economy.

You can find the latest guidance, here: Foot and mouth disease: latest situation – GOV.UK

Or, for more information on our Portal Inspection Services, head to: Portal Inspection – E&J