THE Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is warning Forest sheep badgers that foot and mouth disease could have disastrous consequences in free-roaming stock.
MAFF Divisional Veterinary Manager David Brown told the Review: "Animals should be checked at least daily for signs of the disease and anything suspicious should be reported immediately.
"If animals are found to be infected it is impossible to say to what extent slaughter will be necessary because of variable circumstances such as the length of time the animal has carried the disease but every step should be taken to avoid infection, especially hygiene."
Farmers contacting the Review said they had been told by MAFF vets it was possible the entire Forest sheep flock would have to be destroyed, plus deer, if infection spread here.
The warning came as MAFF announced that much of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley fell within newly declared Infected Area 5, effectively making it a no-go area, following confirmation of an outbreak at Llancloudy, six miles north of Monmouth. As the Review went to press there were unsubstantiated reports that a second outbreak had been confirmed in the area.
Forest Enterprise reacted swiftly by closing woodlands within the area to public access.
Historically, during the 1967 outbreak all sheep were taken out of the Forest by commoners once it became clear there was a risk, a move that ensured limited numbers would have had to be destroyed.
In the event there were no large outbreaks here although chairman of the Commoners Association Don Johns said he believed some sheep on enclosures near Speech house were destroyed as a precautionary measure.
All eyes at the moment are on the outbreak in Herefordshire, while farmers outside the statutory Forest area take measures to avoid a catastrophe.
Most were spreading straw laced with disinfectant at farm access points.
So far as public movements are concerned, the commonsense move of keeping off farmland and well away away from stock was largely being observed, even though Mr Johns had heard that a party of ramblers from Birmingham had travelled over a large tract of farmland south of the Forest at the weekend.
As the Review went to press a total national ban on public use of footpaths on agricultural land was being considered by agriculture minister Nick Brown.
And while rumours were rife about imports to the area of cattle and sheep with possible links to markets and farms involved in cases confirmed so far, the watchwords were caution and vigilance.
A map showing Infected Area 5 and advice on how this affects various activities can be seen on the MAFF website www. maff.gov.uk