World

Swine Swill Suspected

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

March 27, 2001 / 10:56 AM EST / CBS

The British government said Tuesday it will ban pig swill, which has been identified as a key link in the chain which led to Britain's devastating outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown told the House of Commons that it wasn't clear how the disease was introduced into the swill, which was fed to pigs at a farm at Heddon-on-the-Wall in northern England.

Some of the swill consisted of pig meat, so pigs were eating other pigs and that may be how foot and mouth spread.

Brown said the infected food may have been meat illegally imported into the country, or it could have come from food brought in by an arriving passenger.

Number of the Beasts

CBS News Correspondent Kimberly Dozier reports that, for those with an apocalyptic bent, Britain's foot-and-mouth plague just passed a significant number: 666.

Newspapers here have been comparing events in recent days to Medieval Europe, and its dire "end of the world" predictions. Morbid headlines abound: like "Trenches Of Death," and "Bring Out Your Dead."

The 666, known as the sign of the devil, is the last thing the country needs, but never fear — with the virus spreading almost unchecked, no one thinks it'll stay that number for long.

Earlier news reports said the infection had been traced to a shipment of imported meat to a Chinese restaurant, and the British news agency Press Association said that some of that meat was fed to pigs in swill.

Heddon-on-the-Wall has previously been identified as the likely starting point for the disease, which has now been detected at 668 sites around the country.

Only about a hundred farms in Britain are reported to feed swill to pigs. Brown said the practice could be safe, if the swill is properly cooked.

He said the government would now seek permission from the European Union to vaccinate livestock, should the government choose to add vaccination to its control measures.

CBS News Correspondent Sam Litzinger warns that's a move that could hurt future British exports because some countries won't accept vaccinated livestock.

The carcasses of slaughtered animals are no longer being burned because there's concern foot and mouth could be carried on the wind.