the responsibility of the owner to notify the authorities if livestock appear to be suffering from one of a number of specified diseases), together with slaughter, compensation, and movement and import restrictions, which today form the basis of animal epidemic disease control, and the idea of a government department with responsibility for these measures, therefore derive to a remarkable extent from the attitudes and legislation emerging from the successful containment of
cattle plague in 1866.
cattle plague. "Oh", replied the chemist, "the prescription reads: |Bearer
Compulsory slaughter had first been introduced to deal with the
Cattle Plague (rinderpest) outbreak which began in Britain in 1865.
Royal Shows were not held in the following years: 1866: Cancelled because of
cattle plague: 1917-1918 (inclusive) First World War; 1940-1946 (inclusive) : Second World War;2001 - Cancelled because of foot-andmouth disease.
The union has repeatedly stated that the illegal trade in bush meat - including antelope, monkey, rats and bats from Africa - could lead to diseases such as ebola or
cattle plague being inadvertently brought into this country.
The PHLS last night tried to reassure the public that there was minimal human risk from the
cattle plague and said earlier results on six men with similar symptoms had proved negative.
In the 1700s, the biggest threat to livestock was
cattle plague or rinderpest, the worst outbreak of which ravaged most of the country in the 1740s and 1750s.
