Question

How many animals had be culled in the 2001 UK outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease? 1 million 5 million 10 million 20 million

Answer 1

Foot-and-mouth was discovered at an Essex abattoir on 19 February 2001 and it quickly spread across the UK.
The highly infectious disease, which mainly affected cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, plunged the agricultural industry into its worst crisis for decades.
19 February
A routine inspection at Cheale Meats abattoir in Essex finds signs of foot-and-mouth disease in 27 pigs.
Samples are sent away for analysis. It is now believed that the virus had already spread to 57 farms nationwide in the days before the discovery.
Government contingency plans, drawn up in the wake of the 1967 epidemic, were based on an outbreak occurring in maximum of 10 farms.
It had already been superseded by events before the first case was even confirmed.
20 February
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff) confirms that the tests have proved positive.
The abattoir and two farms which supplied them have five-mile exclusion zones put around them. The disease is also found at a farm next door to Cheale Meats.
21 February
All exports of live animals, meat and dairy products are banned by the government, although the movement of animals within the UK continues.
The European Commission bans the import of live animals and animal products from the UK.
Northern Ireland blocks the import of animal and dairy products from the UK mainland.