Brussels, 28/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - The outbreak of further cases of foot-and-mouth cases in Northern England, where no cases had been reported for three months, does not present a major risk for the herds on Continental Europe, a European Commission spokesperson declared on Tuesday, saying that the risk was "rather limited". She added that the embargo on the export of British cattle, meat and products derived from animals at risk made it unlikely that the virus would cross the Channel. Other than the ban on the export of beef, pigs, sheep and goats and anything else that could be infected, restriction measures relate to the export of meat and dairy products and animals.
Having reached a peak in April, with some fifty cases recorded daily, the daily rates of new outbreaks has fallen to less than four lately. The confirmation of twelve new cases in the British county of Northumberland these last few days has revived concern in this region. According to the spokesperson, the results of three inspection missions in the UK by inspectors from the Veterinary and Food Office (VFO) tend to confirm that "the present measures are the best given the situation".