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http://www.news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=972872003
FMD exercise shows lessons learned
DAN BUGLASS
4 September 2003
EMERGENCY team reaction to a simulated foot-and-mouth outbreak in Perthshire yesterday went well, with minor blips, said officials at the Executive’s environment and rural development department.
The exercise involved a theoretical suspected case of FMD on a farm near Perth on Tuesday morning being notified to the veterinary authorities, with an emergency management structure being set up at the department’s Perth office.
Precautionary movement restrictions were put in place on all farms within an eight kilometre radius of the suspect and a press officer seconded.
At the department’s Pentland House, Edinburgh headquarters, the disease strategy group met by 3.30pm, with environment minister Ross Finnie, NFU Scotland and the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in London informed.
The simulated case was confirmed at 9am yesterday, with a senior official sent to London to brief Defra. The department "shut down" Scotland from 10.40am, which in reality would mean immediate closure for all livestock markets and shows. But, unlike the genuine 2001 epidemic, access to the countryside outwith the infected area was not restricted.
Theoretical valuation and slaughter of the 163 cattle on the farm – burial or burning still the options – was carried out as representatives of every stakeholder group met in Edinburgh. The state veterinary service tracked down all vehicles and people recently on the farm as well as other potentially infected sites using the cattle tracing system. Vaccination would be considered if FMD spread, but that would depend on the virus strain.
The exercise ended at 5pm yesterday. Charles Milne, head of the state veterinary service in Scotland, said response had been positive and rapid, using lessons learned from 2001, but blips included the airline charged with taking virus samples south for analysis refusing to accept them and a delay in tracking down some officials.