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Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Answer

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on (a) the potential of deer to catch foot and mouth disease, (b) the potential of deer to act as carriers of the disease and (c) plans he has to control deer suspected of (a) and (b). [160644] Ms Quin: All cloven-hoofed animals, including deer, are susceptible to foot and mouth disease. Wild deer tend to show mild or inapparent disease, resembling the disease in sheep, although some species, (eg roe deer and muntjak deer in the UK) may be severely affected. The age of the animal greatly affects the severity of the disease. Deer can be carriers of the foot and mouth virus, and could transmit foot and mouth disease to susceptible livestock during the clinical stages of the disease. However, the Ministry's current veterinary risk assessment indicates that the risk of wild deer playing any significant part in the spread of foot and mouth disease is very low. There are therefore no plans at this stage to control wild deer populations, although as more information becomes available about the epidemiology of the disease in areas where there are wild deer, the risk assessment will be updated. All samples that have been submitted to the Institute of Animal Health for testing, as of 4 May, have tested negative for evidence of the foot and mouth virus, antigens or antibodies.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

368 c245-7W; 160644

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Deer Disease control Foot and mouth disease Research Risk assessment Epidemiology

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk