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Sabotage Eyed In Outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth

Investigators target 'bio security' at labs making vaccine

By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 9, 2007 6:17 AM CDT
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(Newser) – British officials are pursuing the possibility that latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease could be the result of sabotage, the Times reports. They've ruled out water leaks spreading the virus from a research lab to nearby farms,and have concluded that "release by human movement must be considered a real possibility," said a report prepared for Gordon Brown.

Investigators are now focusing on the possibility of equipment failure or a security breach—either accidental or deliberate. They're looking at "a number of bio security issues" at the lab operations. One is run by a government-funded research organization and the other, at the same site, is owned by the Merial pharmaceutical company.

A dead cow is moved from a field in Normandy, Surrey, during the foot and mouth outbreak, Tuesday August 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease southwest of London, Britain's environment secretary said Tuesday, raising fears the highly contagious virus could spread to herds across southern England....
A dead cow is moved from a field in Normandy, Surrey, during the foot and mouth outbreak, Tuesday August 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease southwest of London, Britain's...   (Associated Press)
British police officers block a public footpath leading to a farm outside Normandy, England, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at the farm southwest of London, Britain's Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Tuesday, raising fears that the highly contagious virus could devastate livestock across...
British police officers block a public footpath leading to a farm outside Normandy, England, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at the farm southwest of...   (Associated Press)
Cattle market worker Edward Hargreeves works to clean Hexham Cattle Market, in Northumberland, England, Tuesday Aug. 7, 2007. The movement of farm livestock is banned following the confirmed outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease southwest of London, and has forced the Hexham Market to be cancelled. The market was expecting to hold...
Cattle market worker Edward Hargreeves works to clean Hexham Cattle Market, in Northumberland, England, Tuesday Aug. 7, 2007. The movement of farm livestock is banned following the confirmed outbreak...   (Associated Press)
Laurence Matthews, who owns the farm where the second case of foot-and-mouth infected herd grazed, disinfects a road on his land, in Normandy, England, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, Britain's environment secretary said Tuesday, raising fears the highly contagious virus could spread to...
Laurence Matthews, who owns the farm where the second case of foot-and-mouth infected herd grazed, disinfects a road on his land, in Normandy, England, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second...   (Associated Press)
A worker wearing protective clothing sprays disinfectant on a car outside a farm in Normandy, England, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at the farm southwest of London, Britain's Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Tuesday, raising fears that the highly contagious virus could devastate...
A worker wearing protective clothing sprays disinfectant on a car outside a farm in Normandy, England, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at the farm southwest...   (Associated Press)
British police officers look at a map of Surrey outside a farm in Normandy, England, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at the farm southwest of London, Britain's Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Tuesday, raising fears that the highly contagious virus could devastate herds...
British police officers look at a map of Surrey outside a farm in Normandy, England, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at the farm southwest of London,...   (Associated Press)
A cow is sprayed with water outside of the cattle barn at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Aug 8, 2007. A dangerous heat wave kept its grip on much of Indiana on Wednesday, prompting cities and social service agencies to take steps to protect vulnerable people from heat-related...
A cow is sprayed with water outside of the cattle barn at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Aug 8, 2007. A dangerous heat wave kept its grip on much of Indiana on Wednesday, prompting...   (Associated Press)
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, or DEFRA worker sanitizes waste bags on farmland near the Pirbright laboratories in southern England, the suspected source of the recent foot-and mouth-outbreak in local cattle Wednesday Aug. 8 2007. Health and safety experts worked Wednesday to determine whether an outbreak of...
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, or DEFRA worker sanitizes waste bags on farmland near the Pirbright laboratories in southern England, the suspected source of the recent foot-and...   (Associated Press)
English farmer John Gunner whose cattle were culled to in an attempt to control the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease talks at his home Tuesday Aug. 7, 2007 in Normandy, England, 30 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of London. Gunner, 60, the second farmer to fall victim, said his herd, numbering...
English farmer John Gunner whose cattle were culled to in an attempt to control the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease talks at his home Tuesday Aug. 7, 2007 in Normandy, England, 30 miles (50...   (Associated Press)
A worker in protective clothing gives directions as a dead cow is loaded into a lorry at a farm outside Normandy, south England, Tuesday Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at the farm southwest of London, Britain's Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Tuesday, raising fears...
A worker in protective clothing gives directions as a dead cow is loaded into a lorry at a farm outside Normandy, south England, Tuesday Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth...   (Associated Press)
A worker in protective clothing gives directions as a dead cow is loaded into a lorry at a farm outside Normandy, south England, Tuesday Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at the farm southwest of London, Britain's Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Tuesday, raising fears...
A worker in protective clothing gives directions as a dead cow is loaded into a lorry at a farm outside Normandy, south England, Tuesday Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth...   (Associated Press)
A dead cow is transported on a tractor into a lorry at a farm outside Normandy, England, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at a farm southwest of London, Britain's Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Tuesday, raising fears that the highly contagious virus could...
A dead cow is transported on a tractor into a lorry at a farm outside Normandy, England, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at a farm southwest of London,...   (Associated Press)
A worker in protective clothing gives directions as a dead cow is loaded into a lorry at a farm outside Normandy, south England, Tuesday Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at the farm southwest of London, Britain's Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Tuesday, raising fears...
A worker in protective clothing gives directions as a dead cow is loaded into a lorry at a farm outside Normandy, south England, Tuesday Aug. 7, 2007. Tests confirmed a second outbreak of foot-and-mouth...   (Associated Press)
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Initial government report
Health and Safety Commission

Theories of how the virus got from Point A to Point B
Times (UK)

 
cattle • health • London • livestock • England • cows • safety • foot and mouth disease • sabotage • Merial • outbreak

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