Officials rule out foot and mouth outbreak on West Norfolk pig farm
Defra have now ruled out an outbreak of the disease - and have cancelled a 10km control zone
Last updated 26th Jun 2022
Government officials have ruled out a suspected outbreak of foot and mouth disease at a farm near Lakenheath.
Defra put a 10km wide temporary control zone around the farm close to Feltwell on Friday after a potential case was identified.
However, after further testing, vets found no confirmed foot and mouth cases.
The farm remains under restriction pending the outcome of further tests.
What is foot and mouth disease?
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock that affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed animals.
It causes a high fever, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet.
FMD can be spread easily on clothing or via, feed and farm equipment. Domesticated and wild animals can carry the disease.
It's rarely fatal in adult animals but mortality rates are high in young animals. With those that do recover usually being weakened and debilitated.
The 2001 foot and mouth outbreak saw around 2,000 cases of the disease confirmed at farms across the country.
The spread of the disease often requires cattle to be killed and can have a devastating impact of the rural economy.