This is not how the Surrey village of Pirbright would have preferred to be put on the media map, but the UK’s current foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak has placed the quiet hamlet under intense media scrutiny.

Animal Pharm observes the media circus surrounding Pirbright and its animal health research facility.

There’s relatively little commercial farming left in this corner of Surrey. Much local property has been bought up by wealthy city types who commute into London to work; some run a few sheep, cattle or goats as a hobby. A few commercial farms do remain, chiefly high-end and added-value operations like the upmarket ice cream maker Loseley Farm with its herd of pedigree Jerseys.

This is the rather unlikely setting for the UK’s first cases of FMD since the devastating epidemic of 2001 and for an intense media scrum focused on a research and vaccine production facility ten minutes drive from the site of the index case, Woolford Farm.

Local children watch as the media descend on the Institute of Animal Health (IAH). The neighbouring Merial lab, however, receives less attention from the TV crew
Left: The center of contraversy. IAH says it has no evidence of breach in biosecurity procedures. Merial will temporarily recommence production of the FMD vaccine at this location in response to DEFRA's order for 300,000 doses of strain-specific vaccine Photos: Salina Christmas

The research facility is home to the UK’s FMD reference laboratory, the Institute of Animal Health (IAH), and to a vaccine production facility currently run by leading animal health company Merial (a JV subsidiary of Merck and Aventis), but established decades ago by the Wellcome Trust.

And it’s from here that, despite stringent biosecurity practices, FMD virus appears to have been released into the environment and infected local livestock. In fact, it wouldn’t be the first time FMD virus has escaped from the site, but it would be the first time in a very long while. In 1960, a single local farm was infected with a strain then being used for vaccine research and manufacturing.

The radio and TV crew camp outside the IAH, waiting for a statement from the center.
Left: An empty farm near the research facility. As a precaution, farms are closed and hundreds of cattle, pigs and sheep may face slaughter in the 10km protection zone to contain the outbreak. Right: Locals have taken to washing their cars in an effort to reduce any transmission of soil between other areas Photos: Salina Christmas

Since then, the facility has been operating safely in the community without incident and even now locals are relatively reluctant to point the finger or assign blame. Institute of Animal Health director Professor Martin Shirley is well-regarded and Merial too seem to be comfortably integrated into the local community. The media operation seems to be the subject of far more curiosity from locals than the research facility has ever been.

As we write, a statement is expected from the UK Government shortly, releasing details of whether the IAH or Merial was the source of the virus. The release will reportedly come as soon as “legal and political details” have been resolved.

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