LONDON, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - A new outbreak of foot and mouth disease in southern England was confirmed Tuesday by Britain's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
A spokesman said the blood tests on sheep, pigs and cattle had confirmed the virus at a farm within the existing 3km (1.7-mile) radius protection zone in Egham, Surrey. Animals at the infected farm were being culled as a precaution.
The discovery comes after the disease was confirmed in slaughtered cattle at two other farms in the same area last week.
The first outbreak occurred not far from Guildford, Surrey, on August 3. Some 100 cattle were subsequently culled, and British authorities confirmed August 7 that a second outbreak had been detected on a farm in the same area.
Confirmation of the disease caused the European Union to prolong its ban on British exports of meat, livestock and dairy products until October 15.
