British Foot-and-Mouth Restrictions Eased

Good news for the British livestock industry.

Foot-and-mouth restrictions eased

Bans on livestock movement in low-risk foot-and-mouth areas across Britain have now been lifted.

Officials have also ended the disease protection zone in Surrey after no further cases of the disease emerged.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the decision was made after "extensive surveillance".

Surrey's wider 10km surveillance...(complete article here).

Bluetongue Jumps to Sheep

The news for British livestock producers just gets worse.

Bluetongue jumps from cattle to sheep

Published: 14, 2007 at 12:52 PM

LONDON, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Britain's bluetongue outbreak has jumped species, having been found in sheep after first infecting cattle this summer.

The virus has infected 60 sheep and cattle, spreading to 36 farms in Suffolk and neighboring Essex, The Telegraph reported Sunday.

Disease experts fear the insects that carried the virus from mainland Europe will survive the winter in sheds and barns, and may continue spreading the virus into December, which could decimate nation's sheep...(complete article here).