Brid Rodgers: Animal movements stopped

It is thought thousands of sheep will now have to be culled in the area as attempts continue to contain the disease.

Department of Agriculture officials are trying to establish how the disease got onto the farm.

'No movements'

Speaking on Sunday, Agriculture Minister Brid Rodgers said: "The source of the outbreak has not yet been established so I want to appeal to all farmers in County Antrim to ensure that absolutely no livestock movements take place."

"Can I make it absolutely clear that the situation is now extremely serious.

Some farmers in the area are fearful that the virus could have travelled in the wind across the Irish Sea from south-west Scotland, which has had severe problems with foot-and-mouth.

Cushendall is about 50 miles from the second outbreak at Ardboe, County Tyrone and there is nothing to suggest a link at this stage.

But Northern Ireland's Chief Veterinary Officer Bob McCracken said that none of the cases to date had been wind-borne, but said the source was still being investigated.

"The virus has got onto these three premises though the gate or over the hedge."

Mr McCracken said controlling it would be "through the sealing-off of every farm in Northern Ireland if we are to stop similar cases".

We are unsure at this stage how much of a cull will take place or what distance it will extend to and people are just apprehensive over what will happen when it actually does start

Councillor Malachy McSparran

Major blow

The SDLP assembly member for the area, Dr Sean Farren, said it was a bleak day for the farming community in north Antrim.

He said farmers in the area were anxious to work with the Department of Agriculture to curtail the disease.

"It is a major blow for the local community if this is what we are facing into.

"But there is a real determination to mobilise all of the efforts necessary to address it," Dr Farren said.

Sean Farren: Bleak day for Antrim

Local councillor Malachy McSparran said people in the area feared for the future.

"No-one's quite sure what will happen," he said.

"We are unsure at this stage how much of a cull will take place or what distance it will extend to and people are just apprehensive over what will happen when it actually does start."

Border controls

The Irish Republic's Agriculture Minister, Joe Walsh has ordered stricter border controls in a bid to prevent the disease spreading.

He said the case in County Antrim amounted to an "extremely worrying" development in continuing efforts to prevent the cross-border spread of the disease.

"This fresh outbreak means that there is a geographic spread of the disease, and not alone is it active on the island of Ireland, but it is actually rampant," he said.

"So we have to literally redouble our efforts. We have to remain vigilant, to have each farmer to have their farm as a fortress, as a self-contained unit."

Sporting fixtures hit

Some County Antrim GAA fixtures have been cancelled following the confirmation of the outbreak.

The National Football League game between Antrim and Westmeath, due to have been played at Casement Park in Belfast on Sunday was cancelled.

And the Ulster Championship first-round match between Antrim and Derry, scheduled for 13 May, has been postponed, while all club hurling and football games in County Antrim have been called off.

The Department of Agriculture can be contacted on its helpline numbers on 02890 524279 or 02890 524590 between 0830 - 2100 GMT.