Foot and mouth case in North is negative
The sheep at the centre of the foot and mouth scare in the North has been given the all clear.
The animal was identified as a suspect case yesterday at an abattoir in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.
The case prompted an exclusion zone in north Monaghan.
Agriculture Minister, Brid Rodgers, said at a news conference that when the sheep was examined in England it did not have the symptoms consistent with the foot and mouth disease.
The Minister added "In the first place, the alternative that we have been facing today we all know and the news that we have got in comparison with the alternative that we might have got certainly gives me a huge sense of relief. But, I want to emphasise again the need for continued vigilance."
At this time of the year it is not uncommon for sheep to have rotten feet, which is what may have happened in this case.
Furthermore, sheep do a lot of slobbering at this time of year due to being overfed.
These symptoms may have given rise to the blisters.
