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The reason for disinfecting shoes, car tires/ undercarriage etc is that you can easily carry the virus from place to place by stepping in something (easily done on a farm) and carrying it in on your boots to the next farm.
FMD virus can travel quite a long way airborne. Any infected animal can act as a source of airborne viruses, NOT just pigs. But pigs are "incubation" vessels. They "amplify" the virus and shed large quantities. But an infected herd of 60 cattle is going to be releasing a fair bit into the wind. It can travel at least 10km. We're not sure how much further. People can also potentially spread it - if it gets into your nostrils and you then rebreathe virus particles onto another animal. But you would have to be in close contact with said animals - not just running through a field.
For what its worth, as soon as I heard the location of the Pride's farm (the first one) I was suspicious - being so close to Merial's lab (Pirbright) had to be more than a coincidence. It would be EXTREMELY unlikley for finishing cattle (which is what the Pride's produce) to be the index case.
We'll have to wait and see. I may be doing a hell of a lot of blood testing over the next few months!
I guess thats why Im the sheep farmer and you're the vet :-))
Good to see someone actually impliments the isolation policy though. So much of the time it seems like advice that people chalk up to "theory" and then happily ignore.
What size flock do you have? Just sheep?
It means very little, but with hindsight, I personally think that the cull was the best way to go last time. Fortunatley, culling has started rapidly with this outbreak. The problem with vaccination as a means of containing the spread is that:
a) you have to identify the strain of the virus and make the right vaccine in sufficient quantities - this takes time
b) if the Pride farm isnt the index case, it may already have spread, who knows how far
c) what do you then do with the vaccinated animals? If the farmers cant export them, they'd be better off culling - at least they'll get some compensation. Doesnt replace bloodlines, as FR says, but some farmers have more replacable stock.
FMD is a horrible disease. The animals suffer a lot. The farmers suffer more.
So dont underestimate the potential.
I actually work part time as the estate manager here too. So I have a bit of influence with the other tenants/ neighbouring landowners. Its helpful in getting a unified approach. Implementing a valley wide isolation policy is a first step.
Lambing in Cumbria in February - you'll know all about cold and sleep deprivation then !!
Actually you might be able to help me here. We have a substantial herd of wild deer which spend summer on the fells and winter in the woods on the valley floor. I'm guessing that they are susceptible, but what to do about them? and how to check them, without shooting a couple and checking the carcasses. As they're wild Defra don't seem that interested. I had thought of driving them down into the woods if it was possible - but I couldn't be sure I'd got them all. Any ideas ? (I wont hold you to them)
Re: your wild deer FR...there's not much you can do if they're wild but I would keep an eye out for lame ones. Also any looking off color - not grazing etc. Unlikley you'll notice actual lesions if you cant get that close. If they're wild and you're liscenced to shoot them, I would shoot any lame, sick looking ones, and get a government vet to check it. As for moving them, I dont think you'd have much luck - they're a bugger to herd, you'd have to have several good dogs, and how would you stop them just coming back again? Its a major problem, when you're trying to contain a disease. We had this in Cumbria - so many deer and also the hefted flocks; no fences on the hills, the sheep just know where to go. Dustin hit the nail on the head - you cant tell a deer it cant roam somewhere!
In Cumbria, they lamb at Easter, so a bit later than Feb. For 3 years I lambed 1200 there and 2 years ago when I left general practice and wanted to earn some "easy" (?!) cash I did night lambing in Wiltshire for a flock of 1500. C-sections and prolapses at 2am are not something I miss!
Thanks for that. I'm liscenced to shoot them I'll pay them closer attention if the need arises.
I don't understand why livestock movements were banned, but dairies carried on trundling milk about the place. Surely they go on and off different farms to collect, unless the bio measures are absolutely spot on there is a risk right?
Milk collection is just necessary and at this stage, a justifiable "risk".
Can I rant about milk prices now, or should I go to the NFU forum to join int he moan about buying at 19p and selling at about 45p when production cost is about 22p? Grrrrrr
Rant.
On Sunday evening they were culling at Lex Farm and Guinea Farm within half a mile away, the latter being where Roger Pride was keping cattle, as well as the first site diagnosed at Wanborough.
Friends at Somerset farm next door to the stables had a visit from Defra yesterday morning to cull their cattle - only to change their minds! Defra are back later in the week to have another think about it. Hopefully thay will get the all clear.
We're thinking about you all....
as far as I understand it the transfer of any livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs) is currently banned??? even from field to field??
so - why did I see this morning a convoy of 6 offroaders pulling a collection of Ifor William Trailers and small horseboxes - one of which clearly had cattle in??? I know where they were but I can't tell where they came from or where they were going to report them...........but I guess these things will always happen to an extent??
My family are all farmers, my brother and his wife were down staying with us at the weekend and when we heard the news on Sat am my brother called home and asked his son to start organising to move 80 sheep down from a small field that they had been put in to graze the grass off for a couple of days, there is 80 sheep on 4 acres so far too many for any length of time. He then realised that all movement was banned so there thay have to stay for the moment. I guess he will have to transport food up there for now so a nuisance but not impossible.
we work in Hailsham which happens to have the SE regional cattle market (just up the road from my office) - it's a bit quiet today....
"This licence permits the movement of cows for the purpose of milking; or of susceptible animals for the purpose of veterinary treatment; from one part of premises to another part of the same premises using a public highway in a Restricted Zone, subject to conditions."
Not saying thats what you saw (I grew up in Hailsham, btw and got married in St Mary's...aww...) but thats a possible (legal) explanation?? Benefit of the doubt and all that?
btw - Aldi are applying for PP to put a supermarket where Hailsham Market stands (for the 2nd time) - be interesting to see what happens to a 700+ year old market!!
Aren't Tesco building a supermarket in Hailsham already though? I forget where... I would have thought with the Co-op and Waitrose already that would pretty much flood the market (er, no pun intended). We need that cattle market, its the only one left in the south east really.
Any plans for interesting training on Thursday? I'm in Hailsham visiting the folks. Thinking of a long run along the Cuckoo Trail if you wanna come with...?
I think they need an act of parliament to close the market but I guess they would relcoate it to the outskirts much like they did in Ashford - it's stupid now to have the market where it is in a town centre....we'll see eh??
thanks for the run offer but I live in eastbourne so will be heading off home after work
Flyaway - glad to have come across you again. I owe you an apology - I was reacting to something someone else said a long time ago, & that wasn't fair to you. I can't email you through the forum or I would've, but I'm email-able.
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Odd though, I thought my email was enabled...hmmm...
Is there a good way to disinfect running shoes? I'm going to be in a few different places round the country this summer, & even where I'm not in direct contact with animals (quite a lot of my relatives do keep susceptible animals) & stay running on roads there are still going to be fields of sheep & cows & stuff either side. Thought about soaking trainers in bleach, but I'd be a bit worried that that will make my shoes fall to bits - is there anything readily available that'd be useful beyond soap & water? Would Dettol work?
(hoping it's not necessary, but R4 this morning said there might be another case, so thought I'd check).
Don't drink it though - one of my dogs took a lick and his eyes were crossed for a week.....
Probably pretty much what happened to Mansfield cattle market, flattened and built on. I used to love going to the market in the school holidays, lovely country smells in the town centre.
;o)