FMD Outbreak Investigation in the UK Completed
News Date September 17, 2007
The virus strain, type O1BFS, that caused the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Surrey in August 2007 has been shown beyond reasonable doubt to have originated from the nearby Pirbright site where a commercial vaccine production plant and a research and diagnostic laboratory are co-located. Investigations indicate that release of the virus was most likely due to escape of live virus from the drainage system that connects the vaccine production plant to the sodium hydroxide treatment tanks on another part of the Pirbright site. Movement of the virus off site was most likely from movement of mites created from soil, water or other material contaminated by effluent, and deposited on the road from which the track to first infected premises leads.
Using the European Food Safety Authority definitions of risk, the probability that live virus is present in the external environment on the Pirbright site or elsewhere, and could be transmitted to susceptible stock, is very low; i.e., this outcome is very rare but cannot be excluded. This risk is further mitigated by biosecurity measures in place on site and the remaining surveillance work.
Debby Reynolds, chief veterinary officer, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DERFA), announced that she was satisfied that foot-and-mouth disease had now been eradicated from Surrey. The 10km Surveillance Zone, together with the remaining restrictions outside the Surveillance Zone, was lifted at noon on Saturday, September 8, 2007. For more information, go to http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/investigations/index.htm. (Contact: Bob Ehart)