Prime Minister Gordon Brown reassured farmers on Friday that an outbreak of foot and mouth was restricted to a limited area of Britain and promised swift compensation for those hit by the livestock disease.
The highly infectious virus has been found on two farms in southern England, forcing more than 570 animals to be destroyed and prompting the European Union and other countries to slap a ban on British meat and dairy exports.
The government said tests for the disease on a third farm nearby had proven negative. The BBC said initial tests on cattle at a fourth farm outside the disease area had also been negative, though the government did not immediately confirm it.
"We have restricted the disease to a limited area of this country," Brown told reporters after a government emergency committee met to review progress in fighting the disease.
"The chief veterinary officer now believes the risk of it spreading outside these areas is low if not negligible."
However, Brown said a national ban on the movement of livestock would stay in place "until we are absolutely sure that we have contained and controlled the disease".
The movement ban was eased on Thursday to permit farmers outside the infected area to move animals only for slaughter.
Brown also promised swift compensation for farmers affected by the outbreak.
"We will extend the compensation beyond the statutory requirements to include cleanup costs and I hope that payments will be made in the coming days to all farmers in the infected areas who have suffered these losses," he said.
Farmers say the trade curbs are costing them 1.8 million pounds ($3.6 million) a day.
