Foot-and-Mouth Disease: European Slaughterhouse Worker May be Infected
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Following up on an interesting story here: Just minutes ago we, told you about a slaughterhouse worker in Northern England being tested now for foot-and-mouth disease. So let's get more from this from CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney. She's been working this story from London. Fionnuala, do you know any more about who this man is?</s>FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you say, he is a slaughterhouse man. He's been heavily involved in the culling of many, many animals who have been sent to slaughter following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain in February. We have to stress that the results of this test have not come back yet. There have been similar tests on six individuals since February for foot-and-mouth. And all of these have tested negatively. The results of this man's test should be known either later today -- this is Tuesday -- or else Wednesday. But health officials in Cumbria say his condition is not life-threatening.</s>LIN: Well, Fionnuala, what are the symptoms in his case?</s>SWEENEY: The symptoms include flu-like symptoms of fever. He has blisters, ulcers in side his mouth, also between his toes and on his hands. But doctors say that there is no real treatment that is needed for this. The man is remaining in quarantine -- which is basically one health official saying he was staying at home and resting -- and that, within a matter of days, he should be all right -- doctors also stressing that the human form of foot-and-mouth disease cannot be passed from one human to another. But this man, if he tests positively, had been very closely involved with the culling of many, many animals over a considerable period of time. The last case of the human form of foot-and-mouth disease occurred in Britain in the 1960s, when the last foot-and-mouth outbreak occurred among animals. And one man then contracted the illness. And he recovered in a matter of days and went on to lead a normal life -- Carol.</s>LIN: Fionnuala, very quickly here: Health officials have always said that this is not transmittable from cattle to humans. So how do health officials there explain this?</s>SWEENEY: Well, more details are beginning to emerge about this man in terms of how he came to be in such close contact. And there are reports that he was moving the carcass of one animal when it exploded pretty much in his face, and that he may have then breathed in fumes that came into the atmosphere. There's concern not just about that, but also huge bonfires that the British government have been authorizing around the country to burn off these carcasses of all the animals that have been killed. And they have been releasing cancer-causing dioxins into the air. And something like a fifth of Britain's normal industrial output release of dioxins has been released over the past six weeks -- so many concerns with the British government. They're trying to warn tourists not to stay away. They are trying to encourage tourists to come to Britain, saying that it isn't dangerous. But they've a lot on their hands at the moment, Carol.</s>LIN: Obviously, if it's not one thing, it's another. Thanks so much, Fionnuala Sweeney, reporting live from London. We will follow up on those test results. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com