During the ‘great cattle plague’ of 1967, all recreational walking was banned throughout Britain's farmlands, as was non-essential driving in the countryside and a whole host of sporting and leisure events.
It was not until rinderpest, or cattle plague, a highly fatal and contagious disease, wiped out seven per cent of the national herd between 1865 to 1867, that views on controlling animal disease changed, says Dr Woods.
Epizootics, such as outbreaks of cattle plague or foot and mouth disease, have repeatedly wreaked economic havoc without making people sick.
Again, throughout the period, the British privy council coordinated measures against ‘cattle plague’.