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Sabotage is suspected over foot-and-mouth
The deliberate release of viral material, possibly in an act of sabotage, may have caused the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, officials said last night. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said in a report ordered by the Prime Minister that release by human movement [of the FMD virus] must be considered a real possibility. Inspectors all but discounted theories that the virus escaped by air or water from the laboratory complex close to where the outbreak started, although they are continuing to investigate the possibility of equipment failure or a security breach. The HSE concluded in the report which was sent to Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, last night that there was a strong probability that the virus came from the research centre three miles from the first outbreak in a herd of cattle in Surrey. Mr Benn said that sabotage could not be ruled out. The truth is we do not know. That is why further investigations need to take place. The last FMD outbreak in England cost the economy billions of pounds - if I was a terrorist (Muslim or Peta) I would consider that evidence of an extremely attractive target. The finding strengthens suspicions raised at the weekend when it was discovered that the strain of virus was one found only in laboratories. Investigators were unable, however, to decide whether the foot-and-mouth contamination escaped from the Institute of Animal Health, the government-funded body that first identified the virus, or Merial, a private company that shares the same site at Pirbright. Further genetic analysis of the virus is being carried out to determine from which of the laboratory units the virus originated. Any security breach could have been either deliberate or accidental and it was confirmed last night that government scientists have been inspecting allotments close to the first outbreak which are used by Pirbright workers to grow vegetables. Did anybody named Mohammed have access? Should investigators find that biosecurity systems or equipment at IAH were in any way to blame for the outbreak, ministers would face allegations that the failure was caused by years of underfunding. It's Bush's fault! Posted by: Glenmore 2007-08-08 |
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