Virus without frontiers

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The European press on Wednesday voiced deep fears and concern after the potentially disastrous foot-and-mouth virus reached the continent.

"A terrible virus that has no frontiers," is the headline of La Repubblica's report on the first confirmed cases of infected sheep in northern France.

"The epidemic is out of control," says the Rome-based paper, adding that Britain has become something of a "leper of Europe," having brought continental Europe both mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth.

However, there is little criticism of the British authorities in Wednesday's editions of European papers as national authorities scramble to implement tough safety measures.

"Walsh again refuses to criticise Britain," says the Irish Times in its report on the latest briefing on the crisis by Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh.

The paper also carries an article that expresses grave concern about the possible effect that the food-and-mouth disease may have on Ireland's key tourism industry.

"The foot-and-mouth crisis could jeopardise the tourist industry for years to come," the Times quotes tourism industry spokesman John Dully as saying. "The government has ruled out any question of compensation for losses incurred in tourism."

El Pais of Spain echoes similar concerns. "The problem of the foot-and-mouth disease is essentially an economic one," says the paper, reporting on the arrival of the disease in France. "In the short term, it is mainly the animal farmers who will feel the consequences of this disease, which has an enormous impact on their livelihoods."

Germany's Frankfurter Zeitung daily reports on the immediate curbs implemented by the German authorities with regard to meat imports.

The paper underlines that, in light of the seriousness of the disease, tourists and businessmen can no longer ignore a ban on any import of food.

The paper points out that the agriculture and consumer protection ministry has launched an urgent appeal to "strictly implement" the new regulations and protective measures.

It quotes the ministry as saying that the government considers the threat posed by foot-and-mouth as "very, very serious."

The French newspaper Le Monde carries an interview with the mayor of the Mayenne, the French region where the first foot-and-mouth cases were confirmed and emergency measures were implemented by the authorities.

Mayor Pierre de Bousquet does not hesitate to point the finger at Britain when it comes to finding the culprit. "(It's the) English. They have already had mad cow disease. I really do not know what's happening there," he is quoted as saying. "However, all things considered, maybe they just did not have any luck."

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