By
The Associated Press
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Some U.S. universities with big agriculture schools are canceling international study programs out of fear that their students will bring foot-and-mouth disease back to the United States.
Other universities are going ahead with programs in England and the rest of Europe, saying the epidemic gives them an unprecedented chance to see how countries handle an agricultural crisis.
Michigan State University canceled a three-week tour of agriculture sites in England and Ireland for 27 students, while at least one Purdue University student called off a trip to Ireland.
Many schools also have instituted controls on foreign visitors. Purdue, the University of California at Davis, Penn State University and others are not letting foreigners near livestock for a week after their arrival.
"Foot-and-mouth is a very devastating disease that we can't afford to have in this country," said Mark Cook of the University of Wisconsin, where a group of 50 German farmers was barred from visiting the school's farm earlier this month.
The highly contagious disease, which can be transmitted by air and soil, is no danger to humans but can kill or harm the development of livestock. The United States has been free of the disease since 1929.
The outbreak has forced the slaughter of herds of cattle and sheep in Britain.
Students from Iowa State University are pressing ahead with plans to go to Ireland this summer to study rural sociology. They had planned to stay on farms but will now be staying at universities.
"We wanted to continue the parts of the program we felt were still viable, since there's no better situation for rural sociologists to take a look at," said Shelley Taylor, director of agricultural study abroad. "It's a great learning opportunity for our students. But we definitely don't want to risk spreading the disease."
Texas A&M University and Ohio State University also are going ahead with programs in Europe. David Hansen, director of international agriculture programs at Ohio State, said airport controls are strict enough that students will not carry the disease back to school.
Many schools are sending information about the disease to students studying abroad.
"Some of the students live on Indiana farms and were asking us what they should do, so we're issuing protections to everyone and telling them things to expect from U.S. Customs when they come back," said Michael Stitsworth, associate director of international agriculture at Purdue.
