*Update2* Foot and mouth disease found in cattle on UK farm

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Foot and mouth disease found in cattle on UK farm

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**Update 2** Just in!

British livestock exports banned

Officials scramble to contain new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease; 2001 epidemic led to mass slaughter of animals

ROMINA SPINA

Associated Press

August 4, 2007 at 9:20 AM EDT

LONDON
— British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Saturday that authorities
were doing “everything in our power” to track the source of a
foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and wipe out the animal illness before
it wreaked economic devastation.

Meanwhile, Britain imposed a voluntary ban on exports of livestock and
livestock products, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs said.

The ministry said the ban applied to animals with cloven hooves such as
cows, sheep and pigs. It covers live animals, carcasses, meat and milk
and is effective immediately.

The European Commission also announced Saturday a ban on live animal
exports from the United Kingdom, along with meat and diary products
only from the area of England affected by an outbreak of foot and mouth
disease.

 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070804.wfootandmouth0804/BNStory/International/home

Update 1

By Robin Millard AFP -

4 minutes ago

LONDON
(AFP) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown was to rush back from holiday
Saturday to head up Britain's response to a new foot and mouth outbreak
amid fears of another epidemic devastating the countryside.

Brown was returning to London to chair a meeting of the government's
COBRA emergency cabinet after the highly infectious disease was
confirmed Friday on a farm near the capital.

A national ban on
moving sheep, cattle and pigs immediately swung into action in an
attempt to contain the virus, which may already have spread. The
disease passes very easily among ruminants but is only very rarely
contracted by humans.

The emergency recalled the last foot and
mouth epidemic, in 2001, which dealt a hammer blow to rural Britain and
its beleaguered agriculture industry.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070804/tuk-britain-farm-animals-disease-a7ad41d.html 

The headlines of late regarding our food sources are alarming.