The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Surrey, Britain could be linked to a laboratory located near the farm currently isolated, officials informed on Saturday.
Authorities confirmed that the infestation could have leaked from the Institute for Animal Health Laboratory at Pirbright, a facility that uses the same strain in its research laboratories situated five kilometers away from the quarantined farm.
Even so, officials from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) couldn’t confirm that the mentioned laboratory is in fact the source of this outbreak and urged people to stay on alert until further results of an ongoing investigation.
“We don't know for sure, and therefore it's very important that people continue to be vigilant,” British Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said.
After this discovery, Defra established only one surveillance zone that encompasses the Gilford farm and the Pirbright facility. Meanwhile, a thorough investigation of the laboratory’s biosecurity has been launched
”The present indications are that this strain is a 01 BFS67-like virus, isolated in the 1967 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Britain” Defra said in a press release.
This statement points at a firm producing vaccines against the disease inside the Pilbright facility, Merial Animal Health Ltd. The joint venture between Merck & Co. and Sanofi-Aventis halted the production of vaccines from own initiative until the investigation is complete.
“This incident remains at an early stage. It is too soon to reach any firm conclusions. All potential sources of the virus will continue to be investigated. All other precautionary measures announced (Saturday) remain in place,” Defra said regarding speculations that the virus could be located only in the isolated area.
Several cases reported throughout the country proved to be false alarms, analysis results turning out negative and fueling rumors that the outbreak could have been confined.
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