One can only tremble at the thought.

The normal incubation period for the virus is up to 15 days, and it is 30 days since the last of the previous outbreaks. I did read that the virus can survive in water for up to 50 days, so did the government get it drastically wrong in announcing last week that the outbreak was over? And will we now have to wait until November before we can be sure this time?

In an interesting crossing of paths, I have just read where the World Conservation Union have declared that Western Lowland Gorillas are criticially endangered because the animals have been decimated by the Ebola virus.

My local newpaper has just published the latest update on the Foot and Mouth outbreak. It's not looking at all good for farmers at this point.

Kingfisher

Outbreak at a second farm has just been announced.

There's never a good time for this to happen but, with many of the key livestock markets scheduled for this time of year, it could hardly have come at a worse time. The knock-on impact could be enormous, as many of the markets and local economies are relient upon the income from these livestock sales. The public often dismiss the plight of the farmers, believing that the compensation will make up for the loss, but who compensates the struggling rural economies?

For farmers with livestock to sell this must be a particularly worrying time. Not only will they fail to get the income from the sale, they will potentially be left with livestock to feed over the winter that they didn't expect to have. With the terrible summer we've had, I doubt that many of them will have gathered enough hay/silage to see them through. And with the current jitters in the financial markets I don't see too many lenders stepping forward to offer loans at reasonable rates to help them out.

All-in-all I wouldn't fancy being a livestock farmer at the moment.

It's terrible, if the virus has spread to a second farm, who knows where else it could have got to.

I wouldn't fancy being a livestock farmer at the best of times, but with all these different factors seemingly creating the nightmare scenario for them there must be some very worried farmers up and down the country.

Timberwolf, you are absolutely spot on.

It may seem silly, even absurd, but with the 'global economy', the mortgage lenders here in the United States who have lent money out on 'sub-prime' loans will have an effect on the economy in the UK. It's not going to be pleasant for a lot of people here in the US, and the ripple effect could have far reaching consequences.

Not to mention that Foot and Mouth may not have been contained when the NEXT quarantine period is up .

Kingfisher

I have just read that there was a different centre that earlier in the year exposed 14 people to the bovine TB pathogen. The problem was found during a routine chech. Which found that there was a faulty air system at the Institue for Animal Health. A spokeperson has said that it is highly unlikely that it spread further but admitted that it could have put staff an inspectors at risk.

It's scary that this has happened twice and what the consequences of both could have been.

I hadn't realised we were still in the crisis of foot and mouth until today when I drove past several signs of caution. When's this going to get sorted out?

We do agility with our dog, and tomorrow is our club show, the field we usually use has sheep in it, and they're not allowed to move them because of the F&M restrictions, so 3 weeks before the show we had to frantically find a new venue, which we did, but at one stage we thought our show would have to be cancelled because of it.

It is often oerlooked how much effect there is on everyone when there is a foot-and-mouth outbreak, such as shows being cancelled like yours clmg.