大象传媒

• The worst outbreak so far was in 1967 when 400,000 animals were slaughtered.
• In 1981 a single case occurred on the Isle of Wight.
• Since 1982 Britain has been classified as free of the disease.
• The total number of confirmed cases in the UK has reached 1.928 cases.
  3,656,000 animals have been slaughtered.
  38,000 awaiting slaughter
  21,000 awaiting disposal

Day 62 - April 23
A giant pyre in Cumbria was dismantled by the authorities as a result of growing concern about the level of dioxins created by the mass burnings of carcasses. Environment Minister Michael Meacher confirmed that the Department of Health had set up an inquiry to examine the possible dangers to human health from the pyres. Mr Meacher told Today that public safety was the government's first priority, but that no method of disposal was entirely risk free.

Day 58 - April 19
Fifty vets dealing with the outbreak in Devon strongly criticised the government's handling of the disease, and warned that mutiny and civil war were in the air. The vets wrote to the Ministry of Agriculture objecting to what they said was the "needless slaughter" of thousands of healthy cattle on farms close to infected herds. Workers at a farming co-operative in Gloucestershire told Today that they planned to block slaughtermen from carrying out a cull of their livestock. Meanwhile the mass burning of animal carcasses in the area worst hit by foot and mouth is being scaled down because of health concerns. Officials in north Cumbria were worried that people living downwind of the biggest pyres could be exposed to toxins in the smoke.

Day 57- April 18
The Government has taken a step towards adopting a policy on foot and mouth disease which it may not be able to implement. Downing Street has made it clear, for the first time, that ministers would be prepared to see cattle vaccinated to help eradicate the outbreak. But farmers' leaders remain unconvinced. Ben Gill of the NFU said his members had to be persuaded that ministers weren't just betting on a turn of the roulette wheel, which might work, but could prove a disaster for the industry.