Slaughterman tested for foot and mouth

Special report: foot and mouth

Helen Carter and David Ward
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday April 24 2001 03.18 BST

A slaughterman may have contracted foot and mouth from culling infected animals, it emerged last night.

The Department of Health confirmed that tests were being carried out on the man from West Cumbria, who has not been named. A diagnosis would not be made for 48 hours, until the results of blood tests are returned. But if confirmed, it would be the second ever case of the human form of the disease - the first occured during the 1967 epidemic.

The suspected victim has been heavily involved in the cull of infected animals.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "There are documented cases of transmission to humans, but they are very rare. It is a flu-like illness which causes blisters on the hands and mouth. It clears up of its own accord. If we had one case in 1967, it is fair to expect we would have one or two cases this time around."

Professor Tony Hart, of Liverpool University, said the slaughterman had all the symptoms of the illness. The previous victim of the human strain of the disease suffered no long-term health effects.

The Public Health Laboratory Service said it had been alerted to several suspected cases of human foot and mouth since the beginning of the crisis - but tests had proved negative. A spokesman said that human foot and mouth was not a big public health issue.

The symptoms are mild and clear up without special treatment. There has been no recorded case of transmission between humans.

People can be infected through skin wounds, by handling diseased stock or by drinking infected milk but not by eating meat from infected animals. Foot and mouth disease should not be confused with hand foot and mouth disease, which is unrelated. The usually mild viral infection mostly affects children.

The average incubation period for foot and mouth is between three and eight days.

Angus Nichol, director of the Public Health Laboratory Service, said: "I must stress that the case is only a possible case. Of the previous people who thought they had the disease, all of them came up negative. So if I was a betting man, I would think this one would be negative as well. Basically this is an animal virus - it doesn't like human beings."

The report adds to fears over human health in relation to the crisis - particularly over the release of carcinogenic dioxins from animal pyres. The environment minister Michael Meacher conceded that the pyres could be a health risk.

The National Farmers Union said last night: "It has always been accepted that there's a small risk that humans could contract a mild form of foot and mouth if they are in prolonged personal contact with animals infected. We are very concerned to hear about this case. We will continue to work with government vets and scientists to eradicate this disease."

Email update
Sign up for our free daily foot and mouth round-up

What's going on?
Full list: outbreaks
Graph: rise in cases
Full list: closed & cancelled
Causes and effects
Explained: vaccination
Explained: the spread of foot and mouth
Foot and mouth in Europe

The front line: meet those affected by the crisis
20.04.2001: The jab of conscience
06.03.2001: Meet our panel