Inspectors Scrutinize Incoming Britons

Government inspectors have stepped up their scrutiny of travelers arriving from Britain--and even disinfecting the boots and shoes of some passengers--to prevent foot-and-mouth disease from reaching the United States.

The Agriculture Department issued an alert to airport inspectors Feb. 21, after an outbreak started in Britain; it also banned import of any British meat products.

The last known outbreak in the U.S. was in 1929. The USDA says the consequences of an unchecked U.S. epidemic would be billions of dollars in the first year alone.