Britain's crisis-hit farming industry waited anxiously yesterday as government scientists carried out more tests at a farm in eastern England to see if Britain's first known case of Bluetongue virus was part of a larger outbreak.
Already hurt by temporary restrictions put in place after the discovery of foot-and-mouth disease in August, farmers face new uncertainty over the insect-borne Bluetongue virus, which affects cows and other ruminant animals.
One infected cow was found at a farm near Ipswich, 110 km northeast of London, authorities announced on Saturday.
"This is not a confirmed outbreak unless further investigation demonstrates that disease is circulating, and this could take days or weeks to assess," the government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement yesterday.
There are no immediate plans for movement restrictions.
"We are testing midges (insects) in the area to find out if they are carrying the disease and once those tests have been complete we will then address the question of movement restrictions," said a department spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.
Six cases of foot-and-mouth disease have been confirmed on farms in southern England since August 3, and about 1,800 animals have been slaughtered since the outbreak began.
Bluetongue is not harmful to humans, but can be fatal for ruminant animals, especially sheep.
It is transmitted by certain species of midges once common only in Mediterranean areas. Experts say the insect has moved farther north due to global warming, and bluetongue may now be endemic in northern Europe.
Officials said the strain of Bluetongue detected in the British cow is the same type as that found in Belgium, France Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands since August 2006.
Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Fred Landeg told Sky News on Saturday that tests would be conducted to determine whether midges were spreading the virus through the animal population.
If the virus is circulating, the government will put restrictions on the movement of animals within a 20-km radius control zone around the farm, Landeg said.
The disease has recently been found in the Netherlands after moving north from Belgium and west from Germany.
"We knew that there was a possibility that infected midges could possibly be blown across the sea," Landeg said.
Britain's environment agency said the infected cow would be euthanized.
(China Daily 09/24/2007 page 6)
Questions:
1. Which part of England was the infected cow discovered?
2. What is the possible cause of the Bluetongue virus entering Europe and Great Britain?
3. What does euthanized mean?
Answers:
1. A place nearIpswich.
2. Global warming.
3. Mercy killing for humane reasons.
（英语点津 Linda 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Marc Checkley is a freelance journalist and media producer from Auckland, New Zealand. Marc has had an eclectic career in the media/arts, most recently working as a radio journalist for NewstalkZB, New Zealand’s leading news radio network, as a feature writer for Travel Inc, New Nutrition Business (UK) and contributor for Mana Magazine and the Sunday Star Times. Marc is also a passionate arts educator and is involved in various media/theatre projects in his native New Zealand and Singapore where he is currently based. Marc joins the China Daily with support from the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
