Lumpy skin disease outbreaks in France, Italy and Spain have prompted the UK government to ban certain unpasteurised dairy imports to protect British cattle, with Britain never having recorded a case of the livestock infection
Some French cheeses and other European dairy products are currently banned in Britain as a devastating disease spreads across Europe. The Government has declared it will keep prohibitions on French cheeses ‘under review’ following the outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD).
Farmers and police clashed in the Ariège region of southern France last week as officials tried to slaughter livestock at locations with suspected cases of LSD), with further demonstrations scheduled in the coming weeks.
Typically transmitted through fly-bites, lumpy skin disease triggers fever, mucus accumulation and large, agonising lumps on the skin of affected animals. The disease first spread to Europe from Africa around 10 years ago, but fresh outbreaks this year have sparked urgent inspections on livestock throughout the continent, with cases verified in Italy and France in June, and Spain in October.
It evokes memories of the foot and mouth crisis in 2001, when more than 6.5 million farm animals were culled. However, Britain has never recorded a case of LSD – and this summer, the government introduced a temporary ban on specific types of imported cheeses and dairy products to stop it spreading here, reports the Mirror.
What does the ban cover?
In England, Scotland and Wales, the following cattle products from Italy, France and Spain are currently banned:
- Live cattle
- Germplasm
- Offal
- Raw milk and raw dairy products, including cheeses
- Certain animal by-products (including hides and skins) unless processed to mitigate the risk of lumpy skin disease
The restrictions do not apply to Northern Ireland.
A Defra spokesperson told the Mirror the existing restrictions will be “kept under review”, adding that the government would do “whatever it takes to protect British farmers and their herds from disease”.
Which cheeses are banned?
The ban in Great Britain specifically focuses on unpasteurised (raw milk) soft cheeses and dairy products that have not undergone sufficient heat treatment or aging.
Defra says this measure seeks to prevent lumpy skin disease from reaching the UK, since it can spread through contaminated cow products.
Banned products include raw milk cheeses and fresh dairy goods processed at temperatures below pasteurisation levels.
Is there any danger to humans?
Humans face no threat from lumpy skin disease, as the infection isn’t zoonotic – meaning it cannot be passed between humans and animals.
The existing import limitations are intended to halt the infection’s spread to cattle, as the ramifications could prove catastrophic for Britain’s agricultural sector.
More than 6.5 million farm animals were slaughtered during the foot and mouth crisis in 2001, with regulations requiring all livestock be destroyed within a two-mile radius if a single case was identified. Enormous ‘fire pits’ were established to incinerate the remains of culled animals.
What has the government said about lumpy skin disease?
A Defra spokesperson told the Mirror: “This government will do whatever it takes to protect British farmers and their herds from disease.
“Following outbreaks of lumpy skin disease across Europe, we have strengthened protections by introducing temporary restrictions on a small amount of imports, including some cheeses.
“The remaining restrictions will be kept under review and will continue to apply until it is determined that imports of these products no longer pose an unacceptable risk of introducing lumpy skin disease into Great Britain.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.