2001 United Kingdom Foot-and-mouth Outbreak - Start of Crisis

Start of Crisis

The first case of the disease to be detected was at Cheale Meats abattoir in Little Warley, Essex on 19 February 2001 on pigs from Buckinghamshire and the Isle of Wight. Over the next four days, several more cases were announced in Essex. On 23 February a case was confirmed in Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, from where the pig in the first case had come; this farm was later confirmed as the source of the outbreak and the owner, Bobby Waugh of Pallion, was convicted of failing to inform the authorities of a notifiable disease, and later of feeding his pigs "untreated waste".

On 21 February, the European Union imposed a worldwide ban on all British exports of livestock, meat and animal products.

On 24 February a case was announced in Highampton in Devon. Later in the week north Wales was affected. By the beginning of March, the disease had spread to Cornwall, southern Scotland and the Lake District where it took a particularly strong hold.

The policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) was that where the carcases from the cull could not be disposed on site, they would have to be taken to a rendering plant in Widnes; as such the corpses of infected animals were taken through disease-free areas. By 16 March, the number of cases was at 240. MAFF adopted a policy of "contiguous cull" - all animals within three kilometre of known cases would be slaughtered. This was immediately clarified as applying only to sheep, not cows or pigs.

The culling of animals which were not shown to be infected, or directly exposed to infected animals was to be a cause of legal question. In ruling on a slaughter order issued against the pig that had starred in the film Babe the judge declared there was no such authority.

Around this time, the Netherlands had a small outbreak, the disease was contained by vaccination; the vaccinated animals would be later destroyed per EU requirements on trading.

Two men were appointed to approach policy in a scientific manner the Chief Scientist Professor David King, and Professor Roy Anderson an epidemiologist who had been modelling human diseases at Imperial College and was on the committee concerned with BSE.

By the end of March, the disease was at its height — up to 50 new cases a day.

In April, Prof. King announced that the disease was "totally under control".

The effort to prevent the spread of the disease, which caused a complete ban of the sale of British pigs, sheep and cattle until the disease was confirmed eradicated, concentrated on a cull and then by burning all animals located near an infected farm. The complete halt on movement of livestock, cull, and extensive measures to prevent humans carrying the disease on their boots and clothing from one site to another, brought the disease under control during the summer. From May to September, about five cases per day were reported.

The culling required resources that were not immediately to hand. With about 80,000 - 93,000 animals per week being slaughtered, MAFF officials were assisted by units from the British Army commanded by Brigadier Alex Birtwistle.