-Caveat Lector- <http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,460962,00.html> Rural myths catch military connection in their net Causes Stories dismissed as rumours and xenophobia but one may be true Special report: Foot and mouth disease John Vidal and Paul Brown Thursday March 22, 2001 The Guardian Rumours, conspiracy theories, urban myths and allegations about foot and mouth are now spreading through Britain even faster than the disease itself. Most are immediately dismissible, several impossible to check, and at least one is being investigated seriously by the authorities. Cover up Foot and mouth has been here months. Yesterday timber and railway sleeper dealers appeared on Radio 4's Today programme detailing calls from the Ministry of Agriculture before Christmas asking for the price of timber to burn foot and mouth diseased animals. Fact: Staffordshire animal health office, part of Maff, rang round merchants in the autumn asking for quotes for timber for pyres as part of an annual contingency plan on how to deal with swine fever and foot and mouth outbreaks. This is a requirement of all EU countries. It happens every year. Animal liberation It is rumoured that animal lib activists have deliberately spread the disease because they are so dissatisfied with industrial farming. Fact: The Hillside animal sanctuary near Norwich is Britain's leading animal sanctuary with more than 800 rescued farm animals. As a campaigning animal welfare organisation but with no history of militancy, several Hillside members went to Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, in December to investigate the conditions animals were being kept in. However, they did not go into the pig farm. Following phone calls from farmers to the police alleging that Hillside members then went on to other farms and spread the disease, the sanctuary has been placed under a restriction order, and checked for signs of foot and mouth. None has been found. Military meat This theory centres on the fact that Ministry of Defence in Northumberland regularly imports cheap meat from countries round the world evading normal customs practices. It is said some of the meat - which may have carried the virus -was sold as pigswill to the farm at the centre of the outbreak. Fact: This, or a version of it might be true, and is under investigation. Certainly the main theory that MAFF is working on is that infected imported meat found its way into pigswill that was not cooked properly and then caused the outbreak. Porton Down The story going the rounds is that that the substrain of the type O virus now in Britain is not the same as any that hasbeen found elsewhere in the world. Fact: The Ministry of Agriculture says it is the same type and substrain. A spokesman at Porton Down, the biological and chemical defence section, said yesterday: "We have never worked on foot and mouth." Deliberate spread One rumour in south-west England is that sheep dealers re-sold animals they knew were infected. Fact: There is no evidence that dealers knew sheep were infected. Immigration It is said that illegal immigrants brought the virus with them, either on their clothing or in food, like dried meat. Fact: No evidence whatever. "Pure xenophobia" according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Vets and journalists The myth is that reporters as well as vets and farmers who have been to many farms with foot and mouth have passed on the disaese. Fact: Anyone in close contact with the disease could pass it on. Almost all cases have been directly linked to animal movements, or movement of vehicles or people between farms. Since the outbreak the most stringent disinfection regime has been operated and vets who have been close to infected animals have to wait three days before going on to another farm. Journalists are not allowed on infected farms. Biological warfare It is being said that foreign terrorists and specifically Saddam Hussein's agents have spread the disease. Fact: It seems unlikely and would require someone collect the virus, incubate it, place it in aerosols, come to Britain and spray the virus into cattle or pig pens. Wild animals It is said that wild animals - starlings, hedgehogs, wild boar, deer and foxes - are spreading the disease and are all to be wiped out by SAS marksmen. Fact: The chief vet has denied there is any connection between the spread of the disease and wild animals. Any bird feeding on a dead carcass could theoretically pick up the virus but it is extremely unlikely, because the carcasses are disinfected as soon as possible after death, and are not emitting any virus anyway. The military is keen to help with the outbreak but the Ministry of Defence has denied that the SAS is stalking wild boar in Essex or anyway else. Jim Scudamore, the chief vet, specifically ruled out trying to kill any wild animals because it was likely to disperse them, further increasing any chance of infection. ================================================================= Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT FROM THE DESK OF: *Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends ================================================================= <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. 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