This weekend marks the tenth anniversary of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak of 2001 which devastated the farming industry of Great Britain.
The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Professor Christianne Glossop, has been among those remembering the events of 2001. Professor Glossop has spoken of her firm belief that lessons learned from 2001 will minimise the risk of an outbreak of that scale from happening again.
Professor Glossop said:
“I vividly remember hearing news breaking of the first case in Essex, and the devastating events of the following weeks and months as the disease spread across Great Britain.
“We learned valuable lessons from that outbreak and have much tighter animal movement controls in place as a result. This includes a six day standstill for farms receiving cattle, sheep or goats. This measure alone would slow-down any silent spread of disease in future prior to FMD being identified.
“Farmers in Wales are now more educated about the need for vigilance in looking for signs of infectious disease, and more aware of the importance of biosecurity.
“The 2001 outbreak taught us that FMD does not allow us the luxury of time to take decisions. In future, on confirmation of FMD, a nationwide movement ban will be introduced immediately to limit its spread.
“Largely as a result of what happened in 2001, animal health and welfare powers were devolved to Wales in 2006, meaning we can implement our own policies in future outbreaks taking account of local circumstances as well as the wider disease picture.
“The Welsh Assembly Government published its own contingency plans for the first time in 2003, and their effectiveness is regularly tested, and kept up to date.
“The distressing sight of burning carcases in 2001 should not be repeated we have alternative disposal arrangements in place, in case of future outbreaks, involving rendering and commercial incineration.
“We all hope that FMD never strikes in Great Britain again. But if it did, I believe that we are well prepared to do everything we can to minimise the impact on our livestock, our farming communities and on our country.”
