Re: [ME] Florida and Bioterror

[CHam628781@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 11/10/01 06:42:55 GMT Daylight Time, rjhansen@inav.net writes:


> Is foot and mouth naturally found in the UK?  Yes, although farmers
> try very hard to keep their flocks clear of it.  It's irrational to
> go, on that evidence alone, from there to "who the hell introduced
> foot and mouth into the UK?"


Er...no. FMD is highly infectious and prior to the current outbreak had not been seen in the UK since 1967 (unless you meant it's now naturally occuring of course, but that's due to government incompetence).

In fact the government's reluctance to use vaccines stems from the fact that countries that use them lose their FMD free status and as a consequence have difficulty exporting produce.

As to how it got here well that's anyones guess but suspects range from infected Argentinian meat via Iraqi biowarfare to sand storms from the Sahara.

Charles

"You can regale your companion if you wish with the story of the time you killed the Mexican with a short arm chin jab followed by a hand-edge chop to the Adam's apple, but this might distress her. Better stick to saying modestly at the right moment, 'I only know five ways of killing a man with a single blow."