Foot and mouth disease found on a farm in southern England this week is likely to be the same strain as that found in two previous outbreaks in August, the ministry of agriculture said yesterday.

If it is definitely the same, concerns of a more widespread outbreak will be eased.

Confirmation of the disease on Wednesday prompted the European Union to ban British exports of meat, live animals and dairy products until October 15.

A ministry statement said initial tests showed it was "likely that this is the same strain as found in the August outbreak."

"We will not be able to confirm the full virus strain until all sequencing is completed. This is currently in progress. We do not have a timetable for when these final results will be received," it said.

On a crisp and sunny day, surrounding roads were blocked with brightly colored police tape and officers checked to ensure no unauthorized traffic passed through.

Queen Elizabeth was banned from riding her horse or letting her dogs off the leash on the adjoining Windsor estate which fell under the new control regulations. Its deer park and the exclusive Windsor polo club were also closed.

Prince Charles, her eldest son who is a prominent supporter of environmental causes, had to cancel a planned visit to farmers in northern England and said he "hopes and prays this desperate situation will soon end."

Britain suffered a crippling outbreak of foot and mouth in 2001 when more than 6 million animals had to be culled. The outbreak hit agriculture and tourism hard, costing the economy an estimated 8.5 billion pounds (US$17.3 billion).

The new case came less than 24 hours after EU veterinary experts had agreed to declare Britain free of foot and mouth from November 9 and lift an export ban imposed after the disease was found on two farms in July and August.

Foot and mouth is a highly contagious disease which spreads easily on the wind. It can cause animals to foam at the mouth, collapse and leave them with serious health problems.

On Wednesday, the agriculture ministry placed a surveillance zone of 10 km around the affected farm, about 48 km from the scene of the last confirmed outbreak in August, and ordered the herd to be culled.

The ministry has imposed an immediate ban on the movement of livestock in England, Scotland and Wales.

It also sealed off a farm in the eastern county of Norfolk because of a suspected outbreak. The presence of the disease there had not been confirmed.

(China Daily September 14, 2007)