Originally from: Mike
                        
Thanks Nick – I will certainly be joining you in the 2 minute silence! See also the wreath laying info below.

Prof. Michell's hard-hitting article can now be downloaded from: www.pighealth.com/diseases/FMD/news.htm

The first practical application of computer modelling in a farm livestock disease epidemic – and of a computer-generated Contiguous Culling Strategy – was in the 2001 Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) epidemic. This first large-scale practical test of these tools has been evaluated this month (the 5th anniversary of the introduction of the 2001 "Contiguous Premises" slaughter policy) by a range of experts in the veterinary press and at last week's "Lessons from Foot and Mouth 2001" Conference in Manchester.

Professor Bob Michell, a past President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), has condemned the 2001 Contiguous Cull in a forthright article this month entitled "Silence of the Lambs, Calves, Sheep, Cattle and Mathematicians" in the professional newspaper for UK vets: "Veterinary Times". The article can be downloaded, together with an archived history of the Contiguous Cull at: www.pighealth.com/diseases/FMD/news.htm

The Veterinary Times and Prof. Michell propose that a two minute silence be observed on Monday 27th March at 11am to commemorate introduction of the Cull policy five years ago, which added more than 2 million animals (mostly healthy and uninfected) to the 7–8 million (precise data were not collected) livestock killed. The Contiguous Cull also led to a massive backlog of carcases for disposal.

The 2001 epidemic was the world's worst FMD epidemic in terms of cost 10–12 billion GBP ( US Dollars) and numbers of animals and carcasses destroyed, yet in terms of the number of farms infected, and number of animals infected, it was a less serious epidemics than the 1967 UK FMD epidemic. The incredible costs (which included farmer suicides and widespread rural health and economy consequences) in 2001 were due in large measure to the central bureaucratic control of slaughtering, the application of computer modelling and the "Contiguous Cull" policy of culling all ruminants and pigs on premises (including rare breeds, irreplaceable genetic lines and children's pets) falling within 3 km of an infected farm.

In a rural community response to the 5th anniversary of this brutal cull, the AVACA (Artists and Vets against the Cull Association) which was formed in 2001, will be laying a wreath, with prayer and the observance of a two minute silence at the Great Orton burial site (Watchtree center) on 27th March and, subject to official permission, at the Animals in War Memorial in London. Anyone wishing to attend and participate at either of these ceremonies should contact AVACA: Tel/fax: 01706–82–7961.