Hi,

Heres an update on the NC situation. Please note the action they would have taken. Its pretty scary. got to go, thundering, have to get off line.

http://www.newsobserver.com

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), March 31, 2001

Answers

There isn't anything there on FMD. Is there another article?

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), March 31, 2001.

Hi gals, here is a forwarded letter from a gal in Ireland's friend in England. Notice the reference of 5 days in the lungs of healthy adults, where we are being told 24 hours. Vicki

Subject: from Cumbria

>Below is a letter, copied with their permission, from friends in >> the stunningly beautiful English Lake District, giving details of >> living through the current outbreak of the foot and mouth virus. >Please >> add them, their parishioners, and many others like them to your >prayers. >> Here in Ireland we are holding our breath after the first confirmed >> outbreak in the State. >> >> FOOT AND MOUTH, CUMBRIA, March, 2001 >> >> It's hard to describe what it's actually like living here in this >> group of country villages on the eastern edge of the Lake District at > >this >> point in time. The media coverage doesn't give a picture of the >"siege >> mentality" which has overtaken us, the news reports seem almost >"sanitised" >> and are careful to play down the situation. We understand that it may >be >> important to do so, but in this place the reality is very different. >> >> We are surrounded by a cluster of confirmed cases, the latest >> within a mile. The funeral pyre at Tirril, 4 miles away, has been >burning >> now for over a week, the column of smoke a constant reminder of the >> crisis. The smell is indescribable - not just burning flesh, but >rotten >> burning flesh and the creosote which is used to keep the fires going. > >There are >> thousands and thousands of carcasses to be destroyed and the burning >can't >> keep up with it all, so a convoy of covered lorries containing some >> carcasses quietly slipped south a few days ago, on their way to a >rendering >> plant. Everywhere you go, and you do try not to go anywhere unless >you >> must, there is straw across roads and gateways, large signs saying Do >Not >> Enter, roadblocks even. >> >> The smell of anti-viral disinfectant is pervasive. No vehicle of >> any kind can now come onto the Lowther Estate without disinfectant >being >> sprayed up into the wheel arches. There is no-one about, nothing >moves, >> everyone stays at home except to visit the supermarket and do the >school >run. The >> pubs are empty and local businesses which rely on tourism are facing a > >> bleak future. >> >> We ran out of wood for the fire but there's no more to be had anywhere > >> because no-one can get on the land to collect fallen trees, so for now >we >> survive with a Calor gas heater. Nothing happens - every meeting is >> cancelled, many churches and some schools are closed because of >> exclusion zones. >> >> As Rector of a group of rural parishes, Jeff spends nearly all his >time on >> the phone to desperate local farmers and their families - either >> locked in their homes because they've already got the virus, or >desperately >> pulling up the drawbridge and living in constant fear that they will >be >> next. A neighbouring vicar was called in by a distraught farming >family >to >> bless their land and stock, but not before his wellies had been >> thoroughly disinfected. The MAFF vet who was called to our latest >case >even >> burned the biro he had used to fill in the form confirming the >outbreak. >> Humans can incubate the disease and breathe it out for 5 days, so we >try >to >> go nowhere, do nothing. >> >> Behind us the lambing sheds of the Home Farm should be full of >> hundreds of ewes about to give birth, but the sheep are all out in >the >fields >> and can't be brought in because of the movement restrictions within >the >> exclusion zone. The grass in the fields is all but gone and if the >sheep >> aren't slaughtered because of the virus they may die anyway of >> starvation; the land will take months to recover. The Government is >now >> considering the slaughter of half a million pregnant ewes who cannot >safely he >> brought in for lambing. We pray that it will not come to that. >> >> Army marksmen have now been called in to destroy as necessary >> sheep which roam free on the fells - many thousands of them. They may > >also >> have to cull the deer which range wild across the whole area. Having >a >split >> hoof they, too, are vulnerable to this infection and cross land >boundaries >> without fear or favour. One infected deer could turn an outbreak into >an >> epidemic. Unthinking tourists make us all so angry. Two women with >dogs >> loose were stopped trying to climb the stile in front of us into the >park >> farmland ... where there were sheep! When the notices about the >closure of >> footpaths were pointed out they insisted that they had a legal "right >to >> roam". You still see a few tourists driving about in four wheel >drives, >and >> you want to tell them to go home.

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 31, 2001.

OOps, sorry, i forgot to mentionm the link is on the right hand side. if that doesn't work let me know.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), March 31, 2001.

Thanks, Bernice. I didn't see it through all the sports stuff I guess!

Vicki, that makes me so very sad. I can't even begin to express it, and to be honest, I don't think we are going to be able to keep free of it here. There's just too much travel and that five day thing is REALLY problematic. I'm locking down my place. It's decided. I'm leaving shoes at the end of the drive in a plastic bag, and pity the snake that crawls in there.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), April 01, 2001.

== There isn't anything there on FMD. Is there another article? ==

A lot of folks are mixing up Hoof and Mouth with Mad Cow. That's what happened above. The article is on Mad Cow. This mix up is causing confusion and rumors.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), April 01, 2001.

What about the reference to sending carcasses to the rendering plant? What will they do with THAT material?

Burning all those animals in open fires brings up another thought. I remember seeing a program on PBS about the worldwide influenza epidemic in l9l7 or 1918 that mentioned that the initial cases were traced to Fort Riley, Kansas, where the army burned manure and straw from the cavalry barns. Just thinking.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), April 01, 2001.

I'm trying to figure out the shearing again this year. Last thing I want to do is invite some infected boots, equipment or wisps of fleece onto my farm. We may end up having to learn to shear anyway. I hate being so paranoid, but I am trying to plan ahead.

That letter makes me want to cry.

-- sheepish (WA) (rborgo@gte.net), April 01, 2001.

Thanks Doreen, we also hadn't heard about the results from the second tests. Rogo, both Doreen's and my ariticle where on Hoof and Mouth. I actually think the Mad Cow information is the most interesting though. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 01, 2001.

Vicki: Do you have any idea why we haven't gotten the results from the second test??? I thought it was suppose to be late Friday or early Sat. I really hate being so paranoid about all this. We have deer so thick here, jumping in and out of every place that I know it would be a total disaster if it hits Michigan.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 01, 2001.

I am still waiting to hear from our NC goat club to find out more on this. Our NC vet freind is away looking into the situation. Still no word. i am very concerned here as we are just over the border in VA. this situation is too close to home right now. i think we are all worried. i'd like to think this was an early April fool's Day joke but its not! i will post as soon as i know anything. this is very nerve wracking right now.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), April 01, 2001.

If this isn't the heigth of stupidity. We need to close our boarders to all imports now! Quaranteen and testing this stock is just the tip of this iceburg called F&M. From the handlers, to the horses tack, any of this can be infected!

FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE, IMPORTED HORSE QUARANTINE - (USA) ******************************************************** A ProMED-mail post ProMED-mail, a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases

Date: 1 April 2001 From: Shamsudeen Fagbo Source: Albany Times Union, 31 Mar 2001

Saratoga Springs, New York -- Non-U.S. [horse] racers must pass foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) tests before running at the Saratoga Race Course. Prestigious European horses seeking Saratoga glory this summer will first be quarantined at a USDA facility in Newburgh for 3 to 5 days under new federal regulations designed to fight highly contagious and economically devastating FMD. All imported horses are required to be quarantined for testing.

FMD affects cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, deer, and other cloven-hoofed animals. The disease spreads widely and rapidly, but neither humans nor horses can get it. However, both can be carriers of FMD. Horses don't catch it, but they can transmit it from their feet, saddle or farm equipment. Everything from the horse's equipment to the footwear of personnel accompanying the horse must be disinfected. Any excess feed, hay, straw or manure that accompanies horses is burned.

Hill, a NYRA veterinarian for almost 20 years, said. "Who knows? People coming from those areas might be a greater threat because they won't be disinfected like the horses will."

-- Shamsudeen Fagbo, DVM Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

[Human beings can carry the FMD virus for 5 days in the nasal passages. It would stand to reason horses may also. - Mod.TG] ...........................tg/ds

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 02, 2001.

Vicki -

YOU ARE RIGHT!!! I believe that those who are locking down are not as paranoid as I once thought, though it is a shame to have to do.

What if we all posted emails to the govt?? I don't know that it would do much good, but I'm going to just because I'll feel better.

I also agree that the racing thing is the height of stupidity - but remember - we also had a lot of British and Irish over for St. Pat's. That's what REALLY scares me.... You can quarantine and all that for horses, but what's to say folks wouldn't just avoid all the disinfecting stuff??? People aren't as smart as animals sometimes...

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 02, 2001.

The USDA has halted all ag. related imports from countries under FMD import restrictions to the point that international flight passengers are having to declare food and other products for possible import restrictions.Used farm equip., swine and other products are now prohibited from entering our country. You are also being asked if you have been to a farm or anyplace that you could have possibly picked up a contaminate. If so, your shoes and possibly clothes will be disinfected on the spot.If it wasn't clear to anyone the NC pigs tested negative to the tests.

-- nobrabbit (conlane@prodigy.net), April 02, 2001.

nobrabbit, those are just the offical non-imports that have always been in place. How about the race horses I just posted about. Did you know that curd from Europe is imported to make cheese here in the US.

If healthy people can carry this in their lungs for 5 days, (notice how just a couple of weeks ago we were told here in the USA it was 24 hours, now from Europe it is commonly posted 5 days) perhaps it is time to close our boarders to even humans, unless quaranteened and disinfected! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 02, 2001.

As of Dec. 7, 2000 all ruminant products are banned from entering our country.

-- nobrabbit (conlane@prodigy.net), April 02, 2001.

My fault you missunderstood what I meant. Curd from Europe is right now in cheese that will take another 6 or 7 months of curing until it will sold here in the states. Probably wasn't the best point anyway. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 02, 2001.

Ok, heres a thought, speaking of horses. At Louisville, the NAILE was held at the same time a derby was held, think it was the Breeders cup. i recall at our hotel room we watched the news and several foreigners were over for that. so..... where does that put us in Nov if we don't ban people from foreign countires with FMD? And the expo is the biggest in the east. scary thought huh? And the airport is right near the grounds too.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), April 02, 2001.

What's really scary is the airplane ventilation systems. We allready know that the air in planes is only filtered with 50% new air, and there have been lots of reports on how sick the air is in the planes, recycling over and over, spreading one thing and another. There was just a big thing on it on the news. And what about the mail and packages?

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), April 03, 2001.