Foot and Mouth disease panic in Swindon

A path closed due to foot and mouth disease

End of March 2001, signs like these you will find virtually all over the UK. The UK is gripped by what I call "Foot and Mouth Disease Panic". While I acknowledge that FMD is a very dangerous disease, some of the reactions can only be described as panic reactions. Almost every single footpath in the UK is closed, even if it is over a hundred miles away from any confirmed case. People are told not to walk on the grass and keep to the footpaths in inner city parks. So the virus knows that it is not supposed to land on these footpaths, but only on the grass (assuming it's airborne)? Yeah right. The sign below is from a sport ground in Old Town Swindon. So the virus only turns up when the event isn't pre-booked? Hm, I don't know...
Closed football field due to foot and mouth disease

Closed football field due to foot and mouth disease

A footpath that mainly passes through built up area is closed because in some parts it's "close" to farmland. Well, I can kind of accept that to reduce the risk, although even the chief vet admits that it is almost impossible to transfer the virus this way (it is transfered from animal to animal and by contaminated food, other means are extremely unlikely). But why is a road going directly through the farmland still open? Not to mention the motorway which passes the farmland in the same distance as the footpath, going all the way to Wales and London. Must be that the virus doesn't cross roads?
I don't even really want to start about the no vaccination policy. The current policy costs the UK a multiple in the tourism industry and other impacted rural industries of the impact a vaccination would have on the meat export industry. I just don't get it...
So, what does it mean for this site? That some of the pages I wanted to create here won't be available for a while until someone talks some sense into the local authorities and they open some of the footpaths and attractions again. I will obviously stay away from farmland, but I hope to be able to walk in forests and some of the beautiful parks again soon.
And now I wait for the flame mails I might get from those people who disagree with my point of view. As long as you don't expect an answer...

Update 29/Mar/2001. Looks like my prayers were heard, see the latest advice from the MAFF: http://www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/latest/country.htm. New advice to in regards to accessing footpaths, see also http://www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/guidancel.htm