Foot-and-mouth case in France prompts EU ban

In this story: Economic impact U.S. free of FMD since 1929 Soybean, corn prices tumble RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed a temporary ban on imports of animals and animal products from the 15-nation European Union after a case of foot-and-mouth disease was reported in France, which is the EU's primary farm producer.

"All EU products are put on hold," Kevin Herglotz, a U.S. Agriculture Department spokesman, said Tuesday. "Any shipment en route to the United States since around February 21 would be held for inspection."

Canada has also imposed a ban on imports of all EU animal products.

IN-DEPTH Foot-and-mouth: Fear and slaughter   •  Disease timeline   •  Q&A on the disease   •  Humans test negative   •  Interactive map   •  Global incidents   •  Key players   •  News search   •  Audio/video archive    VIDEO CNN's Wolf Blitzer reports on why the U.S. has banned all European Union animal products Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   RESOURCES Official press release from the USDA Effects of the ban   MESSAGE BOARD Foot-and-mouth disease   ALSO World reacts to disease spread

The virus can spread like wildfire among cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, goats and sheep. Efforts to eradicate the disease include destroying entire flocks and herds, which economically devastates farmers.

The USDA took the measure after France's first case of foot-and-mouth disease since 1981 was reported in a herd of 114 cattle at a farm in the northwest region of the country.

The French Agriculture Ministry said the infected cows belonged to a farm that is near one that imported British sheep in February. An outbreak of the disease there has led to the slaughter of nearly 120,000 cattle, sheep and pigs, and the cancellation of sporting events and restrictions on travel to affected areas.

Farm Minister Jean Glavany said the virus might already have spread because the sheep imported from Britain had gone to 20 separate areas in France.

At least 11 more suspected cases were reported in the Seine-et-Marne district east of Paris and in southeast France.

Last week, the EU extended a ban on the export of British meat, dairy products and live animals until March 27. Until now, the disease had been mostly confined to Britain.

Economic impact

The United States imported $294 million worth of meat products from the European Union last year. The new U.S. ban on animal imports would have the biggest impact on imports of pork from the Netherlands and Denmark.

Herglotz said "$400 million at most would be involved" in lost meat and dairy EU exports to the United States.

EU beef was banned several years ago due to mad cow disease, but the USDA ban covers all other meats. It also prohibits the import of beef from Argentina after a case of foot-and-mouth was confirmed there.

Most of the food items affected by the USDA ban are specialty items. No sausage from the EU will be acceptable for import into the United States. Pate can only be imported if it's hermetically sealed.

Other items that are hermetically sealed and shelf-stable are acceptable, as are butter and hard cheese. Most soft cheeses from abroad were already been banned for import to the United States.

The ban does not affect imported cooked foods such as Italian prosciutto, German bratwurst and Danish hams.

A detailed list of banned products was to be released on Wednesday, USDA officials said.

Foot-and-mouth disease, which affects pigs, cattle, sheep and goats, can be fatal for animals but rarely endangers humans. It causes painful blisters on the hooves and mouths of the animals, and lessens their value by lowering their weight and milk production.

The disease is one of the most difficult animal infections to control. Because it can easily and quickly be spread by contaminated clothing, car tires, feed and the wind, entire herds and flocks must be destroyed to prevent contagion.

While the disease is widespread around the world, some European countries had been considered free of foot-and-mouth disease.

U.S. free of foot-and-mouth disease since 1929

The United States, free of foot-and-mouth since 1929, has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the USDA said livestock in the United States is highly susceptible to foot and mouth disease, and if it were introduced here, could spread rapidly throughout the entire country by routine livestock movements unless it was detected and eradicated immediately.

"If foot-and-mouth disease were to spread unchecked, the economic impact could reach billions of dollars in the first year," the statement said. "Deer and wildlife populations could become infected rapidly and could be a source of reinfection of livestock."

The USDA stepped up measures against the disease last week by implementing new restrictions on imported food items arriving with passengers from abroad and on the passengers themselves.

The agency said it placed its luggage-sniffing Beagle Brigade and some 1,900 animal health inspectors on "heightened alert" at all major U.S. airports.

Travelers who have been on farms abroad are asked to "clean and disinfect" their clothes before returning to the United States, officials said Monday. A USDA spokesman said officials will examine the baggage of anyone who has been on a farm abroad.

Travelers returning from Europe are being told to stay away from livestock in the United States for five days after their return.

The USDA is also disinfecting any footwear that has been on a European farm at point-of-entry airports in the United States. This includes any non-stop flights from England and Ireland to the United States.

The USDA is also seizing any European meat or dairy products at U.S. airports.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, last week urged the Agriculture Department to block imports of livestock from anywhere in the world, including Canada, until the department assessed the adequacy of its controls for foot-and-mouth disease.

In addition to the ban on shipments from the European Union, USDA said it was sending a team of 40 federal, state and university experts to Europe to monitor and assist in the efforts to contain the disease.

The department said it also will increase its public education efforts in the United States by installing more signs in airports, sponsoring public service announcements and providing a telephone hotline for information.

Chuck Lambert, a spokesman for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, said the department was acting properly.

"As conditions change they've adapted their monitoring and surveillance," he said.

Soybean, corn prices tumble

The appearance of foot-and-mouth in France sent soybean and corn prices tumbling on the Chicago Board of Trade because of fears that the disease could lead to wholesale slaughtering of hogs in Europe, depressing markets for feed ingredients. Soybean prices lost 1 percent of their value.

Financial experts said it was too early to assess the impact of FMD on meat prices and supplies.

Beef sales plummeted in the EU after a rise in mad cow disease cases last year, sending beef prices down by 27 percent since October. Unlike FMD disease, which is not harmful to humans, mad cow disease can kill people.

CNN Producer Christy Feig, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

France, Belgium suspect foot-and-mouth
March 3, 2001
Europe braced for foot-and-mouth
March 3, 2001
UK outbreak raises questions
March 2, 2001
Europe steps up disease controls
March 2, 2001
Disease-free livestock to move again
March 2, 2001
Foot-and-mouth crisis spreads
February 28, 2001

United States Department of Agriculture
UK Ministry of Agriculture: Foot-and-mouth
Belgian Ministry of Agriculture
French Ministry of Agriculture
Danish Ministry of Agriculture (in Danish)
The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease
European Union: Agriculture policies

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