I'm more than a little bit worried.

As many of you regulars may well know, I happen to live in the UK. As late, the UK has been in the news because to the Foot and Mouth outbreak rampaging its way across the English countryside.

Although Foot and Mouth can only be caught by humans in very extreme cases, the virus is very contagious and can be carried on the wind.

I live smack bang in the middle of the English countryside, right next to a pastoral farm with lots of cute, adorable and altogether healthy sheep, pigs and cows. The nearest confirmed outbreak of Foot and Mouth is ten miles to the south. This is far enough for the virus to travel.

There is a high probability that these animals may get slaughtered by the government, not because they have the disease, but because they are in risk of catching it.

I know that these particular animals were going to be killed for meat anyway, but at least that was a (some might say) purposeful reason for rearing the animals. Now they will be culled for nothing, which I as an animal lover find very distressing.

All I'm wondering is how the UK government let something like this slip after the BSE crisis only a couple of years ago? I'd like to see some comment from other people and other countries to see what they'd do in our situation.

Chr"Foot-in-mouth for the UK government"ico