Psychosocial effects of the 2001 UK foot and mouth disease epidemic in a rural population: qualitative diary based study

Abstract

Objectives To understand the health and social consequences of the 2001 foot and mouth disease epidemic for a rural population. Design Longitudinal qualitative analysis. Setting North Cumbria, the worst affected area in Britain. Sample Purposive sample of 54 respondents divided in six demographically balanced rural occupational and population groups. Main outcome measures 3071 weekly diaries contributed over 18 months; 72 semistructured interviews (with the 54 diarists and 18 others); 12 group discussions with diarists Results The disease epidemic was a human tragedy, not just an animal one. Respondents' reports showed that life after the foot and mouth disease epidemic was accompanied by distress, feelings of bereavement, fear of a new disaster, loss of trust in authority and systems of control, and the undermining of the value of local knowledge. Distress was experienced across diverse groups well beyond the farming community. Many of these effects continued to feature in the diaries throughout the 18 month period. Conclusions The use of a rural citizens' panel allowed data capture from a wide spectrum of the rural population and showed that a greater number of workers and residents had traumatic experiences than has previously been reported. Recommendations for future disaster management include joint service reviews of what counts as a disaster, regular NHS and voluntary sector sharing of intelligence, debriefing and peer support for front line workers, increased community involvement in disposal site or disaster management, and wider, more flexible access to regeneration funding and rural health outreach work.

Biosecurity and Insecurity: The Interaction between Policy and Ritual during the Foot and Mouth Crisis

“…The interviews we carried out in North Yorkshire demonstrate quite clearly that scientific theory and practice did not cohere, something that was also evident in other parts of the UK which were severely affected by FMD, such as Cumbria. As shown in a large scale empirical study carried out by Maggie Mort and her colleagues (see Mort et al, 2005), disinfectant mats and soaked barriers were immediately placed at farm entrances because that was the one thing to hand which local people could immediately do, whilst awaiting further news. Some also used household products, such as bicarbonate of soda, before "official" disinfectant became available.…”

“…The biggest concern which embraced all others was uncertainty." (Wood 2002; see also Mort et al 2005) In the following we will analyse the narratives told by the participants in our study of how they reconciled feelings of insecurity with increasing pressure on biosecurity. The results that emerge from this small interview study carried out in North Yorkshire are culturally and historically specific.…”

Qualitative methods for health research

“…The book concentrates on these methods because they appear to be the most widely used in health and health services settings. We have neglected documentary methods and forms of textual analysis [30], which have been used in the health field, for example, to describe mass media reporting of AIDS [31], to ascertain the public and professional attitudes to tranquilliser use portrayed by the popular press [32], and to study diaries kept by rural dwellers during the UK foot and mouth disease outbreak of 2001 [33].…”

Wildlife-livestock interface, veterinary cordon fence damage, lack of protection zones, livestock theft and owner apathy: Complex socio-ecological dynamics in Foot and Mouth disease control in southern Africa

“…Brückner et al (2002) also noted the difficulty in convincing South African communal farmers who mainly keep livestock for socio-economic reasons why their apparently healthy animals must be culled during FMD control. And the post-culling experience can be quite traumatic for individuals involved even in intensive enterprises, as was the case with the 2001 United Kingdom and the Netherlands FMD outbreaks (Cuijpers and Osinga 2002;Van Haaften et al 2004;Mort et al 2005) as well as the 2010 outbreak in Japan (Hibi et al 2015).…”