Web Site, Hotline for Foot-and-Mouth

Britain has set up an Internet site, https://www.co-ordination.gov.uk, and a 24-hour hotline, tel. 0845-607-1071 (within Britain), 011-44-845-607-1071 (from the U.S.), to provide information to tourists about foot-and-mouth disease and how it may affect travel plans.

Although roads have remained open and train service has been operating normally in Britain, visitors have been barred from farms, pastureland, parks and other sites in the countryside in an effort to curb the disease. Foot-and-mouth infects livestock, not humans, but people can spread the virus on clothing and shoes.

Last week, as a precaution, Disneyland Paris halted horse-drawn carriage rides after foot-and-mouth was found on a farm near Paris, Reuters news service reported. Before entering the theme park’s Wild West Show, which uses horses and buffalo, visitors were being required to walk on mats soaked with caustic soda.