Grab wrote: there _is_ a cure - vaccination. But (a) it makes it difficult to export livestock, since tests can't tell the difference between vaccinated animals and ones with the "live" virus; and (b) it's expensive.

Yes, it's about time the pharmaceutical industry came up with a marker for the vaccin (one firm here in Holland promised it two years ago: pity they didn't speed it up).

It's a crying shame that we all bow to commerce so much that we let all these animals die and these farmers get bust, while there's a perfectly good cure. But the Dutch economy is so dependent on export, that it's not going to happen. As I understand it, the Argentinians DO vaccinate there livestock. Lucky cows.

Letty