Summary

NAME: UK FOOT MOUT 5 20070806I TAPE: EF07/0934 IN_TIME: 10:16:02:13 DURATION: 00:03:16:12 SOURCES: See Script DATELINE: Various, 6 August 2007 RESTRICTIONS: See Script SHOTLIST SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/RTE London, UK - 6 August 2007 1. Mid shot of Richard MacDonald, Director General of NFU (National Farmers' Union) and Debby Reynolds, UK government's Chief Veterinarian, at DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) news conference 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard MacDonald, Director General of NFU (National Farmers' Union), UK "... however, you'd be amazed if I didn't tell you that my members are very frustrated, angry and amazed at the likelihood that this may have come out of Pirbright. We feel that we're an excellent industry. We felt that we were an industry very much in recovery from the difficulties that we've had over the last few years and it clearly is, or would be, a body blow if this has come from a well-established science institute, but - and this is the big but - we must wait for the results before we come to any conclusions." SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/RTE Pirbright, Surrey, UK - 5 August 2007 3. Pan from Institute for Animal Health Pirbright Laboratory sign to police car ++MUTE++ 4. Sign reading (English) "Institute for Animal Health Pirbright Laboratory" ++MUTE++ 5. Gate at Merial Animal Health laboratory ++MUTE++ SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/RTE London, UK - 6 August 2007 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard MacDonald, Director General of NFU (National Farmers' Union), UK "But to conclude, our absolute priority at the moment is to contain and eradicate this disease, the disease meaning there are some very significant implications, and every day it gets more in terms of cost to the industry. We've lost our immediate export market, and we're very concerned about damages to the marketplace, but - and the big but is, all of that gets a heck of a lot worse if we don't contain and eradiate this disease. That's why we're working so closely with the government to try to achieve that outcome." 7. Wide shot MacDonald and Reynolds at end of news conference Reigate, Surrey, UK - 6 August 2007 8. Mid shot British Prime Minister Gordon Brown ++MUTE++ 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister: "I've been able to talk to some of the farmers, both in the infected areas and in the surrounding areas, and I want to thank all of them for their cooperation, for their patience, and for the support that they've given, and for their understanding that this is a difficult time, where there are anxieties and worries, but we must do everything we can to control, to contain and eradicate this disease." SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/RTE Surrey - 5 August 2007 10. Close-up of cattle at beef farm 30 miles (48.2 kilometres) from outbreak SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/RTE London, UK - 6 August 2007 11. SOUNDBITE (English) Debby Reynolds, UK government's Chief Veterinarian: "Yes, it's been an intensive and a very busy day in Surrey and late this afternoon the animal health vet as part of their surveillance visits, identified cattle with abnormalities, clinical signs that are suggestive of foot and mouth disease. Based on their evaluation we have decided that those cattle will be slaughtered on suspicion of foot and mouth disease and that culling has begun tonight." SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/RTE Surrey - 5 August 2007 12. Mid of horses at children's nursery two miles from laboratory in Pirbright SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/RTE London, UK - 6 August 2007 13. SOUNDBITE (English) Debby Reynolds, UK government's Chief Veterinarian: " Well obviously this is devastating news to anybody who owns animals. I've appealed to all farmers to be extremely vigilant. To actually inspect their animals as often as possible for any signs of abnormality. But I must reiterate that this came up as a result of the visit by our vets in the protection zone." SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/RTE Surrey - 5 August 2007 14. Mid of goats at children's nursery two miles from laboratory in Pirbright SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/RTE London, UK - 6 August 2007 15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Debby Reynolds, UK government's Chief Veterinarian: "We have concentrated both on looking for the origin of this problem, and also, and most importantly of course at the moment, really operating to control any spread. That is why we have got these protection zone, surveillance zone, and the complete ban on movement of animals across Great Britain." SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/RTE Surrey - 5 August 2007 16. Close up of sheep at children's nursery two miles from laboratory in Pirbright STORYLINE British officials on Monday night began slaughtering a second herd of cattle suspected of being infected with foot-and-mouth disease as part of efforts to stamp out the disease. The European Union endorsed Britain's decision to ban meat and dairy exports. Biosecurity experts were focusing their investigation of how the outbreak started on a suspected link between the first affected farm and a nearby vaccine laboratory, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said. Investigators were also looking into the possibility that recent flooding had helped the spread of the virus. Prime Minister Gordon Brown toured an emergency response centre in Reigate, Surrey, earlier on Monday, trying to reassure farmers about measures being taken to stem an outbreak. Veterinary experts matched the strain found last week in cattle on a farm outside Wanborough, 30 miles (50 kilometres) southwest of London, to the laboratory in Pirbright, which is used to produce vaccine against the disease. Foot and mouth affects cloven-hoofed animals including cows, sheep, pigs and goats, but does not typically affect humans. Brown, who broke off his summer holiday to handle the response, held talks at his London office with farming union leaders, and on Monday pledged swift action during his visit to the emergency response centre. Brown said inquiries were continuing to pinpoint the precise cause of the outbreak, but acknowledged a disease strain found in two infected cattle is the same used at a research laboratory close to the scene of the outbreak. Speaking after his tour of the centre, Brown thanked local farmers for their cooperation and understanding and said "we must do everything we can to control, to contain and eradicate this disease." Officials began killing the new group of about 50 cattle on Monday night, Britain's Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds said. The cows were within the initial 3-kilometre (2-mile) radius protection zone that officials set up on Friday around the farm where the first group of infected cattle were found. "Late this afternoon the animal health vet as part of their surveillance visit identified cattle with abnormalities, clinical signs that are suggestive of foot and mouth disease." Reynolds told Britain's Sky News. She said test results from the group of slaughtered cows were expected to be completed Tuesday, but the precautionary slaughter had already begun. "Based on their (the vets) evaluation we have decided that those cattle will be slaughtered on suspicion of foot and mouth disease and that culling has begun tonight," she added. The laboratory, at Pirbright in the county of Surrey, is shared by the government's Institute for Animal Health, or IAH, and a private pharmaceutical company, Merial Animal Health - the British arm of Duluth, Georgia-based Merial Limited. Merial said it found no evidence of a breach in biosecurity and the IAH claimed a check of records found limited use of the virus in the past four weeks. If the outbreak is found to be linked to one of the two sites, it is likely to mean the infection will be contained to nearby cattle, reducing the risks of a repeat of mass outbreaks in 2001, officials said. At a news conference on Monday, Richard MacDonald, Director General of the NFU (National Farmers' Union), said his members were angry the outbreak may have begun at Pirbright. Around 120 cows were slaughtered after the virus had been identified and confirmed in two animals, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, or DEFRA, said.