Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister Ms Bríd Rodgers and her senior officials were holding talks today to consider other measures to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth.
They are awaiting the results of blood tests from the Pirbright laboratory in Surrey which will confirm if sheep incinerated on a farm in south Armagh had the disease.
The Armagh flock was destroyed and incinerated while a livestock importer and dealer were being questioned on suspicion they breached animal movement regulations.
A five-mile surveillance zone is in place but if the results prove positive a two-mile exclusion zone will come into operation.
Department of Agriculture vets are examining the livestock of other farms close to the property in Meigh.
If the tests prove positive all livestock within the exclusion zone could be slaughtered.
Scotland's first cases in the foot-and-mouth outbreak were confirmed at farms in Lockerbie and Canonbie, Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Executive said.
A total of 27 cases have now been confirmed in England, with the two further cases in Scotland.
PA