Borders tightened as virus spreads

Infected animals were burnt after being discovered at a French farm

PARIS, France -- European countries and the United States moved to tighten controls of livestock and animal products after foot-and-mouth disease spread from Britain to France.

The discovery in France was the first reported case outside Britain, where the disease was detected about three weeks ago.

The European Union veterinary committee banned exports of cloven-hoofed livestock from France for two weeks and also stopped exports of milk, meat and meat products from the Mayenne and Orne departments of northwest France where the case was found.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture went further, temporarily banning the import of all animals and animal products from the EU.

It quarantined all EU meat imported since February 21 and said it was sending 40 experts to the EU to try to help contain the disease. Canada also banned EU meat imports.

AUDIO Local French authorities to host meeting with farmers union leaders 631 Kb/58 secs. AIFF or WAV sound Beate Gminder, EC spokesperson: The Common Agricultural Policy cannot be blamed for foot-and-mouth disease 640 Kb/59 secs. AIFF or WAV sound Cnn's Peter Humi: British sheep are thought to have carried the disease to France 808 Kb/73 secs. AIFF or WAV sound

Foot-and-mouth afflicts cloven-hoofed animals like pigs, cattle and sheep, causing severe weight loss.

It has little or no effect on humans, but can be carried on the wind or even on clothing and has spread rapidly in Britain.

Norway, not in the EU, banned imports of all French farm products. Portugal and Spain closed their borders to French livestock, while Germany warned tourists returning from France to leave food behind so as to avoid spreading the virus.

The new case, the first in France since 1981, prompted concerns that Europe's latest food scare will have a knock-on effect on the economy, with farming and tourism at risk of crippling losses and higher meat prices fuelling inflation.

The case was found in a herd of 144 cattle at a farm next to another holding that had imported British sheep in February.

The entire herd was slaughtered and was due to be incinerated, the French farm ministry said.

France is the EU's primary agricultural producer and farm minister Jean Glavany said the virus might already have spread.

"In the last few weeks of February, we imported 20,000 sheep from Britain and the tests which have been carried out afterwards showed that a very large number of these sheep -- at least half of them -- were carrying the virus.

"These sheep were dispatched to about 20 French departments. So they might have possibly transmitted the virus to others."

At least 11 more suspected cases were also reported in the Seine-et-Marne department east of Paris and in south-east France.

Two hundred sites have been infected in Britain and some 170,000 animals have been slaughtered or are due to be killed.

The Netherlands widened its ban on the movement of sheep to all cloven-hoofed animals and Ireland stepped up border defences against the disease.

In the Italian province of Pescara, nearly 400 sheep from France showed possible symptoms and were slaughtered.

In Munich, the Bavarian Farmers' Association asked local farmers going to Wednesday's soccer tie between Bayern Munich and Arsenal of London to keep their distance from the British fans -- and said it would have been better if the English fans had been asked to stay at home.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Foot-and-mouth disease
French Government
AFSSA
UK National Farmers' Union
UK Ministry of Agriculture
European Union: Agriculture policies
World Organisation for Animal Health
British Tourist Authority

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