Two more people in Britain may have contracted foot-and-mouth disease, it emerged last night.
The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) confirmed that tests were being carried out on two people but would not give details of where the suspect cases had been found or whether the people had been involved in the slaughter of infected animals.
Reports of the suspect cases came as a slaughterman from west Cumbria awaited the results of blood tests to determine whether he has contracted the disease, the second case since the 1966/67 outbreak. The suspected victim was involved in the slaughter of infected animals in north Cumbria and a Downing Street spokesman suggested yesterday that he may have come into direct contact with the disease when the carcass of an animal split open and fluid was sprayed into his mouth. The test results are due today.
A spokesman for the PHLS said health officials were investigating the two suspect cases but the cases were not in north Cumbria. "There are a lot of symptoms that can seem similar to foot-and-mouth and the case yesterday has obviously raised concerns."
Ms Sylvia Rungien, the stepdaughter of the agriculture worker who contracted foot-and-mouth during the last outbreak, said he had not suffered from any long-term medical problems. Mr Robert Brewis, from Northumberland, showed signs of the disease in 1966 and his symptoms reappeared after five months. However, Ms Rungien said he often joked about his illness.
"He was a practical joker and used to make animal noises; he was not ashamed of it. It was like a cold really, and it just went away, so there was not really much to worry about."
Earlier, the government of the Isle of Man cancelled this year's TT motorcycle races amid fears that the island's disease-free status could be put at risk with the arrival of up to 40,000 visitors.
The cancellation of the two week festival, the first time the races have been called off in peace-time since 1907, will be a blow to the island's tourism industry. The races, which take place between May 26th and June 8th, bring some £16 million sterling to the island, and a package of measures is being drawn up to help local businesses.
The island's chief minister, Mr Donald Gelling, stressed that although the races had been cancelled, the Isle of Man was free of foot-and-mouth and tourists were welcome. "The decision to cancel was extremely difficult and not one that was taken lightly."
There were also new public health fears after an official from the Welsh Assembly said he could not guarantee that napalm had not been used to accelerate the burning of carcasses.
Mr Gareth Jones, who is co-ordinating the Assembly's efforts to tackle the disease, said: "To my knowledge we have not used napalm but I am afraid I couldn't put hand on heart and say that is the case simply because we take pyrotechnic advice on burning animals and there is a great deal of advice provided to MAFF officials, who have to build these pyres, and the contractors."
As members of the rural community expressed concerns about the impact on their health from living close to animal pyres, the Department of Health admitted that asthma sufferers living near pyres could suffer increased breathing difficulties. In fresh guidance released by the Department, pyres will be moved farther away from villages. Farmers growing fruit and vegetables downwind of the pyres will be advised to wash and peel them before eating.