FARMERS in the UK are hoping that the country has escaped a nightmare repeat of the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001 that led to the slaughter of between 6.5 and 10 million cattle. This time around, early diagnosis of an infected cow in Surrey and rapid intervention by government veterinarians to extinguish the outbreak by killing around 500 cows at five farms appeared to have . However, reports of a suspected outbreak in Kent as New ÒÁÈ˾þà went to press indicate the all-clear will be some time coming.
Whatever the outcome, the revelation that the virus…
