Fears were mounting over a second wave of the foot and mouth disease late last month as 55 new cases were confirmed in the counties of North Yorkshire and Lancashire.
UK Ministry of Agriculture officials and vets were moving quickly to contain the disease in Settle and Clitheroe, fearing it could spark a repeat of the dire situation seen earlier in Cumbria. Animal movement restrictions were immediately imposed on almost 1,000 farms located around the two areas.
Over 45,000 animals on infected and neighbouring premises have now been culled. This figure is likely to rise, warned chief veterinary officer Jim Scudamore. Many farmers own several of parcels of land spread over a wide area, and there could be as many as 16 neighbouring farms to each infected sites.
The Ministry of Agriculture, was investigating the source of the new outbreaks, although a spokesman said it was probably due to the movement of people and animals in the area.
Nationally, the number of reported cases of the disease has fallen, but the cluster of new outbreaks is a warning to farmers that they must remain cautious. As we went to press, the total number of confirmed cases stood at 1,699, with 61 in North Yorkshire and 34 in Lancashire.