The first case of foot and mouth disease in continental Europe has been confirmed on Tuesday at a farm in Mayonne in north-west France.


Officials have set up a security parameter of 1.5 miles around the farm and a further surveillance parameter of six miles to protect against the spread of the disease.


French vets identified the suspected outbreak amongst a cattle herd in an area that has been on the alert for the disease since a shipment of 750 British sheep were identified there three weeks ago. Subsequent tests showed some of them had been in contact with the disease. 


The confirmation of foot and mouth in France dashes hopes that European authorities had successfully restricted the highly contagious disease spreading to the continent. Livestock movements and markets have been severely restricted by the EU.


German authorities that reported a suspect case among calves in Lower Saxony said initial tests were negative but final results are not due until Tuesday.

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just-food.com published a feature on foot and mouth. To read it, click here.

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