Foot and Mouth Disease has today been confirmed at the slaughter house where sheep, pigs and cattle were culled last night. This now becomes the fifth infected premises since 3 August this year but remains contained within the Surrey region. The farm is within the existing Protection Zone near to the Infected Premises confirmed last week.

On 12th September 2007, Foot and Mouth Disease was confirmed at a farm in Surrey. A single Protection Zone has been put in place around the land of this farm, with a Surveillance Zone of 10 kilometres radius beyond that. Cattle on the affected farm have been culled, together with animals on an adjacent farm, where disease was confirmed by laboratory testing. Laboratory results confirmed that the strain found at the latest infected premises is the same as that in the August outbreak, namely 01 BFS 67.

Parts of Runnymede, Spelthorne, Elmbridge, Woking and Guildford fall within the protection zone, with the surveillance zone stretching into Mole Valley and Surrey Heath. The county council has now closed some footpaths and rights of way in the protection zone and have asked the public:

• not to use footpaths or rights of way clearly marked as closed
• not to stray from the right of way onto grazing land (sheep, pigs, cows, goats)
• to avoid walking amongst livestock
• never to touch or handle livestock
• to keep dogs on a lead and avoid any contact with livestock nearby
• to take any waste, including food, home
• to use any disinfectant footpads or baths which the landowner provides
• not to take or ride horses in or out of the protection zone.

Footpaths that remain open in the protection zone have been assessed by Trading Standards as low risk to the spread of infection.

DEFRA has a protocol for closures, which states that a proportional approach will be taken, with access restrictions kept to a minimum. Recreational use of the countryside was not proven to be associated with the commencement of the FMD outbreak in 2001 or the subsequent spread of the disease. The BMC will therefore be working to ensure that key recreational and tourist areas are not closed to the public if this outbreak should spread.

Despite this new outbreak the countryside remains open. Climbers and walkers should continue their activities as normal but check the DEFRA website and the local authority website first for guidance if you are planning on visiting the Surrey region.

3 Peaks Race cancelled
The 2007 Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross race, due to have take place on Sunday 30 September, has been cancelled due to the ongoing Foot and Mouth crisis in southern England. With riders due to travel to the race from the four corners of Britain (and overseas), including Surrey, the current focal point of the crisis, the risk of spreading the disease was deemed too great to be acceptable. Further details of this process, plus information on refunds will be posted on the event website in the next few days: www.3peakscyclocross.org.uk

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