Animal disease tests on Finnish farm

CHELTENHAM, England -- The foot-and-mouth outbreak is continuing to take its toll on the UK and Europe.

The UK remains the worst-hit area, with 103 confirmed cases, but on Thursday the spotlight turned on Scandinavia.

The Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin reported that a cattle farm in Orimattila in southern Finland has been isolated after a suspected case of foot and mouth-disease.

It marks the first case reported in that country. Tests samples have been sent to Denmark for analysis with the results due on Friday.

Reports said the farm was placed under quarantine on Wednesday after it emerged that someone connected with it had recently returned from a visit to the UK.

Elsewhere, Italy has imposed a worldwide ban on imports of livestock susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease.

The Italian health ministry said minister Umberto Veronesi had decided to order a stricter ban than that agreed by the European Union on Tuesday.

The order signed by Veronesi, which will remain in force until March 27, included banning livestock from EU as well as non-EU countries. A statement said the more vigorous ban was imposed in order to apply "maximum precaution."

AUDIO David Byrne, EU Food Commissioner: Culling is an appropriate response 381kb/35sec. AIFF or WAV sound

In another development, France on Wednesday announced it was to destroy 60 illegally imported sheep and 100 animals that had contact with them amid continuing fears that the epidemic would cross the English Channel.

None of the animals had showed symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease but a veterinary official in the western department of Vienne said they would be destroyed because they arrived in the country after February 1.

Sports events cancelled

Meanwhile, in Britain, major sporting events are being called off to comply with Ministry of Agriculture quarantine requirements.

On Wednesday the annual Cheltenham Festival, one of the highlights of the jump racing season, was postponed.

The cancellation of the event, due to be held next week, came after a case of the disease was found at a stable 70 kilometres (42 miles) from the course.

In a second blow to the sporting calendar, the Irish Rugby Football Union confirmed that it had cancelled its national side's Six Nations matches against England and Scotland.

The clash between France and Wales at the Stade de France, in Paris, on March 17 is also in doubt because of the outbreak.

The British Horseracing Board described the postponement of the three-day Cheltenham festival as "a serious blow to racing."

Cheltenham managing director Edward Gillespie said: "This is a most unexpected and dreadful blow for everyone who has been preparing their horses and planning their visit to Cheltenham next week.

"I know this will be an enormous disappointment to the entire racing community."

Gillespie said he hoped to re-schedule the festival, for which 150,000 race-goers have booked tickets, for the end of April.

Foot-and-mouth -- harmless to humans -- affects cloven-hoofed animals, destroying their economic value. It is highly contagious and can be spread by the wind or on the soles of shoes.

Drastic measures to contain its spread, including an export ban and the culling of over 80,000 animals, has plunged the British farming sector into crisis.

The export ban alone is costing the industry an estimated $12 million (£8 million) a week in lost sales.

France has so far ordered the destruction of 20,000 sheep imported from Britain after February 1 and 30,000 French sheep that had contact with them.

It has also introduced a two-week ban on the export of all animals at risk from the highly contagious disease along with most movements of livestock.

Reuters contributed to this report.

EU battles foot-and-mouth spread
March 6, 2001
Virus sparks call to shut borders
March 5, 2001
Livestock virus controls extended
March 6, 2001
France bans animal markets
March 5, 2001
France, Belgium suspect foot-and-mouth
March 3, 2001
UK outbreak raises questions
March 3, 2001
Europe steps up disease controls
March 2, 2001

Foot-and-Mouth Disease
British Horseracing Board
UK National Farmers' Union
UK Ministry of Agriculture: Foot-and-mouth
French Ministry of Agriculture
The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease
European Union: Agriculture policies
Cheltenham Racecourse - UK National Hunt Racing

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