Cattle on a southern England farm have been infected with foot-and-mouth disease, prompting a nationwide ban on shipping hoofed livestock, British authorities said Friday.

A 2001 outbreak of the disease in Britain lead to the slaughter of millions of animals.

In this 2001 photo, cow carcasses are readied for burning during a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in England.
(David Cheskin/Associated Press/PA)

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee Friday night to discuss the development, according to his spokeswoman.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policy, said the government's top priority is to prevent the spread of the disease.

The British Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said animals on a farm near Guildford in Surrey have tested positive for the disease, but did not say how many animals were affected.

All cattle on the farm where the infection was found must be slaughtered, a department spokesman said.

A 2-mile (about 3-kilometre) radius protection zone and a surveillance zone of 6 miles (9½ kilometres) had been put in place around the farm. A national ban on the movement of all hoofed animals, including pigs, has also been imposed, the department said.

The 2001 outbreak started in a pig herd in Northumberland and spread to cows and sheep. The disease was also reported in France, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Foot-and-mouth disease leaves cattle with blister-like sores on their tongues, lips, teats and hooves, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Many affected animals recover, but the disease leaves them weakened and debilitated.

The Canadian agency said humans rarely contract the disease.

The last case of cattle contracting foot-and-mouth disease in Canada was in 1952. In Britain, prior to 2001, the last outbreak was in 1967.