UK troops to fight farm disease

Troops will help clear the backlog of piles of rotting carcasses

LONDON, England -- Britain is to deploy troops to help to clear the backlog of thousands of dead animals culled in the battle against foot-and-mouth disease.

Up to 100 soldiers in 50 two-man teams were starting work on Tuesday at sites across Devon, south west England, although it is expected they will also be called to deal with similar backlogs in Cumbria, in the north.

The Ministry of Defence said the military personnel -- who will be supported by a 30-strong command team in Exeter -- include experts in logistics and a range of other areas.

They will supervise and offer advice to civilian contractors who are culling animals and removing carcasses for destruction.

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The deployment of the men -- from the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment, and the 3rd Regiment Royal Military Police -- comes as 23 more new cases were confirmed, bringing the UK total to 348.

The arrival of troops in the countryside coincides with the huge promotional campaign aimed at enticing tourists back to British rural areas.

The British Tourist Authority estimates that restrictions of movement introduced as a result of the outbreak is costing £100 million ($143 million) a week. That will rise to £250 million pounds ($358 million) a week in the summer if the disease persists.

Later on Tuesday, Environment Minister Michael Meacher is expected to make a statement to Parliament outlining plans to re-open countryside areas not directly blighted by foot-and-mouth.

That will be followed by a nationwide advertising campaign to tell the public which rural areas they can walk in without facing heavy fines -- currently a subject of much uncertainty.

Tourism Minister Janet Anderson is to travel to the United States to spread the message that Britain is not one big no-go area.

In an escalation of measures against the disease, Britain is to destroy all sheep and pigs within three kilometers (two miles) of any confirmed outbreak in Cumbria -- the worst affected area.

The pre-emptive slaughter, which is strongly opposed by some farmers, will start "within weeks," Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore said on Monday.

In the month since the first case of foot-and-mouth was confirmed, almost 300,000 animals have already been killed or marked for destruction.

As the spread continues, farmers' and environmental groups have called for a campaign of vaccination against the ailment.

But the European Union, which has banned all imports of meat from the UK, has rejected calls for a vaccination.

EU agriculture ministers insisted the current policy of isolating the disease by destroying animals suspected of having the virus and restricting livestock movements is the best way of containing the outbreak.

Officials said that any vaccination campaign would cost all member nations their current "foot-and-mouth-free" status in world trade markets.

Experts also pointed out that vaccinations were not 100 percent effective and could hinder tracking of the disease since vaccinated animals carry the same antibodies as those infected.

"Vaccination sounds like the right strategy until you examine what it really means," Britain's Agriculture Minister Nick Brown said. "It isn't the easy option that it might first appear."

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has extended its ban on the import of livestock to six more countries in an effort to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth.

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Saeed al-Ragabani said the ban now includes livestock imports from Pakistan, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mongolia, China and South Africa.

UAE, which along with Saudi Arabia, is the only Gulf state to report foot-and-mouth cases, has already banned livestock imports from Britain, other European countries and several Arab and African states.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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Ministry of Defence
UK Ministry of Agriculture
Prince of Wales's Own Regiment
Foot-and-Mouth Disease
European Union

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