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Foot and Mouth Disease
Precautions to protect livestock: Archived Page, 2001The on-going Foot and Mouth Disease crisis in the countryside has led
to precautionary closure of footpaths in much of
Lancashire. Visits to the Group's Hide, which is on farmland, to watch
badgers have been stopped until further notice. (Part of the prize for
the winners of the children's drawing and painting competition
was a visit to the hide, which has unfortunately had to be postponed.)
This virulent infection can be spread by walkers inadvertently carrying
the virus on their footwear from area to area, or even on clothes where
these have brushed against vegetation breathed on by infected
livestock.
The disease infects mainly cloven-hoofed creatures - badgers
cannot catch Foot and Mouth Disease. However, like humans, they may
have picked up some virus just by passing through an infected area, and
therefore the advice to anyone finding a badger road-kill victim is NOT
TO TOUCH IT. The Group would still appreciate a call on the BADGERLINE
- but if you need to pull the carcase to the side of the road, for
example, you should wear gloves and burn them afterwards. Other than
this the body should NOT be moved.
The crisis is far from over as yet, and Badger Group members
and the Public are asked to take care and respect any restrictions.
This disease must be stamped out completely because consequences for
the environment as well as the economy should it become endemic in the
country's wildlife are not to be contemplated. You can get up-to-date news and
information on the progress of the disease from the M.A.F.F. website. |
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