A SLAUGHTERMAN was last night suspected of having contracted foot-and-mouth disease.
The unnamed man, based in Cumbria, is undergoing tests to establish if he has the disease, which produces flu-like symptoms and blisters on the hands and mouth.
Although extremely rare, it is possible for humans to contract the disease.
Dr Angus Nichol, of the Public Health Laboratory, said there had been other suspected cases recently but all had proved negative.
"I must stress that the case that is being investigated with our laboratories is only a possible case," he said, adding there had never been a case of it being passed from one human to another.
The only confirmed case of the disease among humans in the UK was reported in 1966 in Northumberland. Bobby Brewis, 34, a farm machinery salesman was living with his brother near Rothbury.
Mr Brewis said at the time: "It was rather like flu. I just felt a bit groggy." But he suffered no lasting ill-effects.
Mr Brewis later moved to Darlington and became a chef. He died six years ago, aged 65.
Read more about Foot-and-Mouth here.
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