The final reports on the 3 August outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Surrey were released today by the Health and Safety Executive and an independent scientist from Imperial College. The Guardian already has a nice story on the topic, and more is sure to follow.

Ultimately, the distinguished panel admitted, the biggest British biosecurity breach in recent history probably came down to bad plumbing. The drainage system between the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s Institute for Animal Health and the Merial Corporation’s Pirbright Centre, which manufacturers foot and mouth vaccine, was in bad need of repair.

To make matters worse, both Merial and the Institute knew that the pipe needed replacing for years, but were squabbling over who would foot the bill. In the end, nobody made the replacement, and the virus likely washed out of the cracked pipe during this summer’s heavy rains. It was then probably spread, even more ironically, by lorries hired to make improvements to the institute.

Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, looked a bit sheepish as he tried to explain what had happened. He also refused to speculate over who would be held responsible for the drainage problems. “Ultimately,” he said, “it’s a legal question.”

Credit: HSE