March 28, 2001
		Mass Burials Begin in Britain; Blair's Political Future in Jeopardy Expanding its battle to contain foot-and-mouth disease, Britain deployed its army on March 26 to bury up to 500,000 sheep who were feared to have come in contact with the highly contagious but non-fatal illness. They were dumped into a mass grave on a former airfield near the city of Carlisle, in northwestern England. The grave is the size of a football field. Since the first sign of the outbreak on February 19, around 390,000 cloven-hooved animals have been slaughtered, with 230,000 awaiting destruction. More than 290,000 carcasses have already been destroyed in mass pyres. Seemingly unaffected animals on farms up to two miles from infected animals are marked to be slaughtered as a pre-emptive measure against the spread of the disease. At a news conference, Agriculture Minister Nick Brown gave a hint that vaccinating animals was under consideration. This had previously been rejected, with the fear that vaccination would merely mask the disease in infected animals and could disqualify Britain from exporting livestock and meat for at least a year. Speaking in Parliament, however, Prime Minister Tony Blair said that he supports "containment by culling." The more aggressive measures to control the disease followed reports last Friday that by government veterinarians that the number of cases is expected to rise, possibly reaching 4,000 cases by June. Agriculture Minister Brown said that the epidemic has already lead to more slaughtered animals than were killed in the last major outbreak in 1967. In the aftermath of the outbreak, there has been a passionate debate among politicians and voters as to whether the general election, previously expected for May 3, should be postponed or not. It is considered that the political consequences of the epidemic could Tony Blair his position as Prime Minister. In other news, the first case of foot-and-mouth disease was identified in Britain's scenic Lake District, 40 miles from the closest previous case. Not only is the area the destination for many travelers, but it is hilly with craggy mountainsides, and the sheep graze without walls or fences separating flocks. If sheep are wiped out there, it could change the ecology of the district for years to come. "The fear is that the disease will spread like wildlife across the entire area," said Tim Collins, a local legislator. "The look and the feel of the Lake District could be changed utterly for generations to come," he said. Bob Cartwright of the Lake District National Park Authority said, "It's an absolute nightmare scenario. The Lake District may never get back."