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Volume 9, Number 1—January 2003
Research

Foot and Mouth Disease in Livestock and Reduced Cryptosporidiosis in Humans, England and Wales

William J. Smerdon*, Tom Nichols*, Rachel M. Chalmers†, Hilary Heine*, and Mark Reacher*Comments to Author 
Author affiliations: *Public Health Laboratory Service–Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, London, England; †Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, Singleton Hospital, Sgeti, Swansea, Wales

Main Article

Table 1

Key events during the foot-and-mouth-disease epidemic in livestock, United Kingdom, 2001a

Dates Cumulative cases Event
2001


19 February
0
FMD case suspected at an abattoir in Essex, southeast England.
20 February
1
Index case confirmed.
21 February
2
Animal movements banned within infected area.
Ban on moving susceptible animals and nontreated animal products from the U.K. imposed by the European Commission.
23 February
6
Case confirmed in Northumberland, northeast England.
Environment Agency and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food issue joint statement that disposal of animal carcasses produced by culling constitutes an emergency under the terms of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
25 February
7
Case confirmed in Devon, southwest England.
27 February
16
Special rights to close footpaths and rights of way outside infected areas granted to local government.
First case in Wales (Anglesey).
28 February
24
First case in Cumbria, northwest England.
1 March
31
First case in Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway).
2 March
38
Animals intended for the human consumption permitted to be moved under license.
6 March
80
Environment Agency announces disposal hierarchy, placing rendering and incineration first.
15 March
250
Policy of culling sheep within 3 km of an infected premise announced by Minister of Agriculture.
20 March
394
Prime Minister initiates daily interdepartmental meetings chaired by Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods.
23 March
514
First meeting of Cabinet Office Briefing Room, chaired by the Prime Minister.
Government Chief Scientific Officer proposes a 24-h infected premises/48-h contiguous cull policy.
101 Logistics Brigade of the Army deployed at Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food headquarters.
26 March
644
First mass burial of animal carcasses at Great Orton, northeast England.
30 March
829
Largest number of new cases (50) reported in a single day.
15 April
1,320
14% of footpaths open.
7 May
1,563
Last carcasses buried at Great Orton. Last day of incineration of carcasses. Backlog of animals awaiting disposal cleared.
8 June
1,714
Prime Minister announces new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs replacing Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
22 June
1,773
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announces intention to revoke most footpath closures.
30 September
2,026
Last confirmed case of foot and mouth disease in Cumbria, northwest England.
28 November
2,026
Last foot and mouth disease–infected area designations lifted from parts of Cumbria, northwest England, north Yorkshire, and County Durham, northeast England.
7 December
2,026
Guidance to lift remaining footpath restrictions issued.
2002


14 January

Northumberland, northeast England, last county declared to be foot and mouth disease–free.
22 January

U.K. regains international foot and mouth disease–free status, clearing way to resume normal trade in animals and animal products.
21 June National Audit Office report published “The 2001 Outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease.”
Six million animals slaughtered.
Direct cost to public sector, 3 billion pounds (U.S. $4.7 billion).
Cost to private sector, 5 billion pounds (U.S. $7.9 billion), mostly in the tourism sector.
Up to 100,000 animals slaughtered and disposed of each day.

aSource, National Audit Office, U.K. (13).

Main Article

Page created: December 07, 2010
Page updated: December 07, 2010
Page reviewed: December 07, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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