March 20, 2002
Five cows imported from France have shown signs of the contagious disease brucellosis which can affect humans, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced.
There were in a consignment of 44 cattle brought to the UK as part of the restocking process following last year's foot-and-mouth epidemic.
One of the cattle, at premises in Cumbria, gave a positive reaction in tests for brucellosis and has been slaughtered.
The four other animals gave inconclusive results and will undergo further testing.
It may take up to three weeks before it is known whether any of the five has brucellosis although if the result is positive it should be sooner.
Defra said the last case of brucellosis in a herd in the UK was in 1993.
While brucellosis is transmissible to humans, the main risk is through those who have direct contact with cattle, mainly farmers, particularly around the time of calving.
Animal Health Minister Elliot Morley said: ‘While there are many factors to be taken into consideration when purchasing stock, controlling the risk of introducing disease needs to be a priority for farmers.’
Brucellosis causes cows to abort but can also cause recurring bouts of fever in humans.
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