Bluetongue, a virus affecting cows and other ruminant animals, has been detected for the first time in Britain, AP quoted the government as saying today. A cow was infected with the disease on a farm near Ipswich, 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of London, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement. «This is not a confirmed outbreak unless further investigation demonstrates that disease is circulating,» the environment agency said in a statement. The discovery comes as Britain is trying to contain an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Six cases of foot-and-mouth have been confirmed on farms in southern England since Aug. 3 and about 1,800 animals have been slaughtered since the outbreak began. Bluetongue is not harmful to humans, but can be fatal for ruminant animals, especially sheep.
