1363 cases have now been confirmed.

The Government and farming unions are at loggerheads over the issue of vaccination. The Government is keen to start limited vaccinations in Cumbria and Devon to, as they say, create a firewall to stop the spread. Ben Gill, the President of the National Famers Union, has expressed fears that this option throws up so many unknown factors it would be like throwing a ball onto a roulette wheel and hoping it comes up trumps.
Welfare issues are also thought to be a major influence on the Government. Cattle that have been inside for the winter are running out of feed but can't be moved due to the restrictions. Farmers are asking for many of these animals to be slaughtered rather than let them suffer. If they were vaccinated they could be put out to grass. They would then be slaughtered at a later date. Concerns are that the vaccination is very unsafe, carriers would remain in the herd, consumers would not want milk or meat from these animals and it would encourage rather than stop the disease spreading.