Sri Lanka is to adopt measures to screen visitors on flights from Britain in a bid to prevent those in contact with animals infected with foot and mouth disease transmitting it here, The Island newspaper reported on Friday.

The Ministry of Livestock Development and Estate Infrastructure said on Thursday that foot and mouth disease of cloven-footed animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs is highly infectious disease, which does not affect people.

An outbreak had been reported from Britain and Northern Ireland and spread to several farms there. Measures have been taken to stamp out the disease rather than control it in Britain, the ministry said.

The ministry said that although the disease has been endemic in Sri Lanka, measures are being adopted to prevent entry of the virus here. Food items brought by visitors will be destroyed. Airline garbage will be properly disposed and animals on farms likely to be infected will be vaccinated.

(Xinhua 03/16/2001)