Britain Fears Worse to Come for Livestock

As scientists warned that the worst of the foot-and-mouth outbreak is yet to come, Britain considered two highly unpopular options Friday--expanding a massive slaughtering plan and vaccinating animals against the disease.

In further grim news, French agricultural officials Friday reported a new case of foot-and-mouth east of Paris--the second French farm to be struck with the disease. The first was in the northwestern village of La Baroche-Gondouin.

In Britain, the nation’s chief scientist said the epidemic was “not under control.” Desperate officials promised to speed the pace of killing and said they might begin culling all animals within two miles of every infection site in the country.

Chief government scientist David King warned that if officials fail to halt the spread of the disease, as many as half of Britain’s 63 million livestock might have to be sacrificed to stop it.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown said he was giving serious thought to vaccinating animals against the disease, as Dutch authorities have gained European Union permission to do. Britain has sought to avoid vaccination because it would keep other nations’ doors shut to livestock exports.

The new culling strategy was proposed as scientists warned that the number of infection sites could hit 4,000 by June. An Agriculture Ministry report warned that the number of infection sites--which has passed the 500 mark--could rise by 70 a day over the next two weeks, or nearly 1,000.

“It will grow fast in the next few weeks and continue for many months,” said the report, written by foot-and-mouth disease experts. “The number of cases will rise steeply with rapid expansion in the existing areas in spite of current controls.”

The ministry said the widened slaughter “is an option that [officials] have, but it’s not something that they are embarking upon at the moment. It’s something that they are considering.”

Earlier, King said the plan had already been approved.

If the wider slaughter is implemented, all livestock within two miles of infected farms throughout Britain will be put down, King said. The widened culling was initially planned only for the worst-hit areas in northern England and southern Scotland.

Many farmers have complained that the already authorized slaughter of infected animals is moving too slowly, allowing the disease to continue spreading.

“The government’s policy of containment and eradication through the intensified slaughter is the right one,” Prime Minister Tony Blair said at an EU summit in Stockholm. “What we’ve got to do now, frankly, is to deliver it, make sure that it’s actually happening.”