LONDON, Sept. 7 An investigation found that leaky drains at a research facility in southern England may have been responsible for an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Geoffrey Podger, head of the Health and Science Executive, said that the virus escaped from one of two facilities at Pirbright in Surrey, the government-funded Institute of Animal Health or Merial, a pharmaceutical company, The Telegraph reported. But he said investigators had been unable to find out which one was responsible.
Drains at the Pirbright facility had been damaged by tree roots and inspectors also found open manhole covers, Podger said. Heavy rains that could have overwhelmed the system may have contributed.
Inspectors said that the officials at the Pirbright facility realized for some time that the drains were defective.
The report could allow farmers who lost animals in the outbreak to claim compensation.
About 600 animals were destroyed to contain the outbreak and animal movement in the area was banned for several weeks.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
