Hunting has been stopped, horse racing banned, cattle markets closed. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has shut all its reserves, and zoos including Whipsnade have closed their gates. Even the Army has been brought to a halt, suspending military exercises on rural land. Supermarkets now fear that with food supplies disrupted, panic buying will set in. The reason for the alarm is the devastation the disease can cause to the farming industry and the economy.
Animals suffering from foot and mouth lose their appetite, and meat production falls sharply.
It is so infectious the entire national herd could succumb within days. The government believes the measures taken have contained the disease, but the long-term impact is already becoming clear. The outbreak has already exposed the frighteningly lax inspections of farms and the meat trade, and the consequences of long distance transport of food. Even though foot and mouth presents no threat to human health, it will add further momentum to demands for more naturally produced foods. Locals often complained about it.