froggie 0 #1 March 20, 2001 i just saw on the news that the Foot and Mouth disease is spreading. I heard that now their killing all animals that are found within a 2 mile radius of an infected animal. I can only imagine what this means for the skydiving community over there. Sorry guys. hope they get all them cows so that you can jump again.froggie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deleted 0 #2 March 20, 2001 What in the hell does that have to do with Skydiving? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Albatross 0 #3 March 20, 2001 I most foreign countries the DZ are in the country and most of the land is used for grazing. Since the disease is soo infectious the people are not allowed to skydive for fear of infecting other areas. Thus many of our friends in the UK and now Europe are not able to jump.Blue Skys and Safe LandingsAlbatrossEdited by Albatross on 3/19/01 10:38 PM. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freaksister 0 #4 March 20, 2001 Well, anonymous poster, it means that they have to close down dropzones near an infected area, because most DZs are in rural areas! If a jumper lands in a field or whatever, he or she can carry the virus back on their shoes, canopy, anything! It is very contagious to the animals, even a tiny amount is dangerous. I think its airborne possibly? Anyway, the disease hasn't crossed into the human chain, but it wipes out so many livestock that it devastates the economy. If it came to the US we would be up a shit creek! We have way way more livestock (cattle in particular) than Europe. The disease can affect any cloven hoofed animal, is that correct? So you see, anon., if a dz is closed because of foot and mouth disease, it affects the skydivers!I don't want it to come over here, I am glad they are stepping up "safety procedures" at customs coming into the US. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miked10270 0 #5 March 20, 2001 Hi all, Hi Sis,Yeah... Foot & Mouth is a $h!t of a disease. For those of you interested, it's a virus, I suppose it could be likened to cold sores that infects the space between the cloven hoof of such animals & also their gums. Short version is that they can't walk & can't eat. What they can do is infect other animals. It doesn't neccessarily kill the beasts, but they do lose condition & produce and never fully recover so the short answer is to cull them to try to stop it's spread.This disease IS VIRULENT!!! it can transmit itself airborne and there's no cure. In some countries it's endemic 'cos it's such a b@$t@rd to wipe out.So... How does this affect skydiving? Well, as Sis said, most european DZs are in the countryside... Hell! Anybody know of a DZ in the middle of a city? Anyway, at the moment the farming community is in a state of seige in the UK & Ireland and what they DON'T WANT is a bunch of strangers on (or even near) their farms. All farms have disinfectant points at their entrances to wash down vehicle wheels & feet on entry & exit. Their reasoning is that the less traffic in the area, the less chance of infection being brought in or taken out.At the moment diplomacy is all. The nightmare scenario is a skydiver landing out in a field used by animals. Imagine if there was an outbreak at that farm later! Who'd get the blame (regardless)?As I said before, this is a golden opportunity for skydivers to cause untold (& permanent) harm to our relationships with our neighbours.Mike D10270. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
