The farming industry in Northern Ireland breathed a sigh of relief yesterday after the preliminary results of tests on a "hot suspect" foot-and-mouth case in Co Tyrone proved negative.
The North's Minister for Agriculture, Ms Brid Rodgers, said she was delighted at the initial results but warned that the suspect case was a reminder that the disease could strike again.
One case was confirmed in Meigh, Co Armagh, last month, but the export ban on the North has since been lifted, with the exception of Newry and Mourne. Twenty suspect heifers, most with blisters on their feet, were detected at a pedigree dairy farm at Ardboe, Co Tyrone, this week. Samples were sent to Pirbright for examination.
"I know that the whole of Northern Ireland has been holding its breath for the last 24 hours, and it is a source of great comfort to us all that our worst fears were unfounded," said Mrs Rodgers.
She stressed that a second case would have ended the fight to lift export restrictions in the Newry and Mourne area. Restrictions on public events would have had to be reintroduced.
A final result on the Ardboe case will not be available for up to five days. However, the results of preliminary tests have never been overturned during the current crisis.
The Northern Ireland Executive said if no further cases were detected, the restrictions on the Newry and Mourne district would be lifted on April 19th.
The president of the Ulster Farmers' Union, Mr Douglas Rowe, welcomed the result but called on farmers to redouble their efforts to maintain a fortress farming policy.
The chairman of the Stormont agriculture committee, the Rev Ian Paisley, said he believed the negative result had been achieved by the power of prayer.
The Executive recommended that horse-racing events planned for Down Royal and Downpatrick on May 7th, 18th and 19th be cancelled. It also announced that the Rate Collection Agency would defer payments of rate bills where financial hardship could be demonstrated as a result of the crisis.
One of the UK's top motorcycle road-racing events is also set to be called off because of the foot-and-mouth emergency.
The Northern Ireland Executive said the North West 200, which would attract an estimated 30,000 fans from Britain, would present an unacceptable risk of infection.
The Executive said it would not be possible to put in place adequate precautions to ensure there was no contact between visitors from Britain and farm animals in the Coleraine, Portstewart and Portrush areas where the races had been planned for next month.
The organisers are to consider the Executive's recommendation before making a final decision, but with the track skirting several farms in the north-west, it now seems unlikely the event will take place.