The Government's chief vet today ruled out the immediate use of vaccinations to protect animals at risk in the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease as it was revealed that none of the 362 livestock culled as a precaution on Wednesday was infected.

Although tens of thousands of doses of the vaccine have been ready since Monday, Dr Debby Reynolds said that there were no plans to use them at present.

Speaking at a press conference this morning she said: “It has been decided not to vaccinate at this time, however this approach will be kept under review as the disease situation develops.

“Any decision to vaccinate will be based on a veterinary decision of the risks. We will look at this day by day by day.”

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Background

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• Deadly secrets of the pathogen labs

• Chief vet rules out vaccination against FMD

• Lawyers advise on possible compensation claim

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There was relief for farmers that the deadly disease did not appear to have spread as far as feared, as tests showed that the 362 animals culled on Wednesday at a farm in Surrey had not contracted the Foot and Mouth virus, officials said today.

The cattle, sheep, pigs and goats of Hunt Hill Farm were slaughtered as a precaution because they had been grazing close to the fields of John Gunner – the second farmer to discover the virus amongst his herd since the outbreak was reported last week.

Vets from the Department of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) considered this a “dangerous contact”, and the animals were killed while tests were carried out.

The farm is run by John and Georgina Emerson, who sell their produce at farmers markets. Mr Emerson said on Wednesday that the slaughter had left a “real void in our lives”. He fears he will lose £10,000 of organic meat in his cold store that is rapidly moving past its sell by date.

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister said today that the risk of the disease now spreading was "negligible".

"We have restricted the disease to a limited area of this country. The risk of it spreading out of these areas is low, if not negligible"

Meanwhile senior members of the leading farm animal welfare charity Compassion in World Farming were this afternoon urging Defra to relent and start using vaccinations.

Philip Lymbery, the Chief Executive, said: “We have lost quite enough animals now, Defra must vaccinate immediately to stop this disease causing any more unnecessary suffering to farm animals and undue disruption to the farming community.

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