Russia bans British pork, animals due foot-and-mouth

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has banned imports of live pigs, wild hoofed mammals and all meat of these animals not subjected to thermal treatment to prevent the spreading of foot-and-mouth disease, the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday.

An outbreak of the highly infectious animal disease was confirmed on a farm in southern England.

The disease can be contracted by cattle, pigs, sheep and goats but only rarely by humans.

Russia has already banned imports of British cattle, sheep, goats and their meat to prevent the spreading of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) also known as mad cow disease.