Officials in Northern Ireland have sealed off another farm in mid Armagh where animals were reported to be showing clinical signs of foot-and-mouth disease.
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Stormont agriculture minister Bríd Rodgers said after meeting members of the agricultural industry to discuss the three confirmed cases of the disease in the North that a precautionary cull was being carried out in mid Armagh while results were awaited.
"All we can say is that clinical signs were present and we moved in immediately to slaughter and we have sent samples to Pirbright (laboratory in Surrey)."
Preliminary tests on a another suspected case of foot-and-mouth at Ardboe in County Tyrone, have proved negative, it was disclosed today.
Livestock on the farm had already been slaughtered as a precaution before the tests were confirmed, said Ms Rodgers.
The confirmed cases were in Meigh, County Armagh, discovered on March 1 and six weeks later in Ardboe, and Cushendall, County Antrim, she said.
All the infected animals on the Ardboe and Cushendall farms have now been slaughtered and incinerated and the department was now carrying out a pre-emptive slaughter of animals on surrounding farms.
A second suspected case in Cushendall had also been downgraded.
Ms Rodgers repeated her appeal to farmers to report any unauthorised movements of livestock within Northern Ireland.
"There has been much media interest in possible illegal movements from Great Britain but, now that the disease is established here, unauthorised movements within Northern Ireland are at least as important and we need to know about them," she said.
"I would also appeal to farmers to ensure that cattle and sheep are not allowed to mix."
The minister this week announced a complete restriction on animal movement but said she was considering permitting limited movements to slaughterhouses.
She added: "I am also discussing with my chief veterinary officer how best to allow welfare-related movements soon without increasing the disease risks."
PA