Tony Blair has appealed to tourists not to cancel their bookings despite the increase in the number of foot and mouth cases to 435. including the case in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, EU veterinary experts meeting in Brussels have imposed an embargo on exports of live animals and untreated meat and dairy products from the Netherlands to prevent the spread of the disease. The Netherlands, which confirmed cases at two farms, is the second continental country after France to experience an outbreak.
The Dutch Agriculture Ministry said that tests showed four cows in the eastern town of Olst had been infected by the virus. The town is about 5km east of Oene, where officials have assumed an outbreak has occurred amongst goats. All animals in a 1km radius around the farm in Olst, as well as farms in Oene and Maren-Kessel, are to be destroyed.
The outbreaks make the Netherlands the second country in continental Europe to be infected with the highly contagious disease. A case was confirmed in France last week. The Dutch Government has re-introduced a ban on exports and imports of animals susceptible to foot and mouth and has forbidden the movement of animals inside the country.
In a separate development, European Union veterinary experts have extended their ban on British livestock and meat exports until 4 April, but said that they would relax curbs on French livestock exports and meat sales next week provided there were no new outbreaks.
