The government in the UK is facing further questions over the latest case of foot and mouth disease. The agriculture ministry says it believes the outbreak on a farm in southern England is likely to be the same strain found in two previous outbreaks in August. Experts say this would ease concerns that the disease is more widespread.

However questions are mounting about how it was able to spread at all, despite strict security measures, and how it was possible for experts to declare the region free of foot and mouth. This week’s outbreak and that in August are on farms within 50 kilometres of each other.

The EU has banned all British exports of meat, live animals and dairy products until October 15. A foot and mouth crisis in 2001 resulted in the culling of more than six million animals and cost the economy 12.5 billion euros.

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