Review of the Year, June 2000-May 2001

摘要

2001 will go down in UK history as the year of the world's most serious epidemic of foot and mouth disease (FMD). By the end of May 2001 stock had been slaughtered on more than 7,750 premises to control the disease and there were still between 5 and 10 confirmed outbreaks a day. Altogether 500,000 cattle, 2.57 million sheep and 123,000 pigs were destroyed, around 4% of the total UK population. This includes both livestock confirmed with the disease and so-called 'contiguous' animals slaughtered as aprecautionary measure. A third of the total slaughter was in Cumbria. In addition, 90,000 cattle, 750,000 sheep and 210,000 million pigs were slaughtered on farms where movement restrictions or feed supply problems created a threat to animal welfare.