A Manufactured Plague

Exposes the government mishandling and ‘pro-slaughter ideology’ that destroyed millions of farm animals in Britain in 2001 and crippled rural livelihoods Both the definitive history of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Britain and a source of valuable lessons for handling the next, inevitable, FMD outbreak Essential reading for all concerned with farming and trade and the safety of livestock and food Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is currently regarded as one of the world’s worst animal plagues. But how did this label become attached to a curable disease that poses little threat to human health? And why, in the epidemic of 2001, did the government’s control strategy still rely upon Victorian trade estrictions and mass slaughter? This groundbreaking and well-researched book shows that for over a century, FMD has brought fear, tragedy and sorrow – damaging businesses and shaping international relations. Yet these effects were neither inevitable nor caused by FMD itself but rather were the product of legislation used to control it. In this sense, FMD is a ‘manufactured’ plague not a natural one. The book turns the spotlight on this process of manufacture, revealing a rich history beset by controversy, in which party politics, class relations, veterinary ambitions, agricultural practices, the priorities of farming and the meat trade, fears for national security and scientific progress all made FMD what it is today.