LONDON — A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Tony Blair said Saturday that Britain is beginning to win its battle against foot-and-mouth disease, but the number of cases continued its steady rise.
Blair, meanwhile, was holed up at Chequers, his country retreat, meeting with advisers to decide whether to vaccinate some animals to stem the disease's spread. He must also decide shortly whether to postpone plans for a May 3 election.
"We are beginning to punch our weight on the ground," said the spokeswoman, who spoke on condition she wasn't named. "This is undoubtedly going to be a long haul, but we are determined to keep the pressure on through the work of the military . . . to deliver real change."
The army stepped up its involvement in the fight against the disease this week, sending personell to help in the slaughter to clear the backlog of animals earmarked for culling.
Agriculture officials announced early Saturday that more than 60 new cases had been confirmed since Thursday evening, putting the total at 846. Foot-and-mouth poses no danger to humans, but it can cause great economic damage to livestock industries.
The Agriculture Ministry changed the way it releases information, so a direct comparison is difficult, but that appeared to be a steeper jump than in previous days, when the number of infection sites had increased by between 30 and 40.
Professor Roy Anderson of Imperial College in London told The Guardian newspaper that a daily case total close to 60 would mean efforts to stop the disease's spread were having little effect.
"There are some encouraging signs in the epidemic," he said. "This week is crucial. If the cases this weekend stay around the 30 or 40 mark, or even a little bit higher — the 50s is all right — that's good news. If they don't, there's a lot more effort to be made."
Disposal of culled animals could soon be quickened. Agriculture Minister Nick Brown said Saturday that an independent medical report has cleared the way for cattle under 5 years old to buried instead of burned.
Cattle were previously burned because of fears of spreading mad cow disease — a fatal brain-wasting ailment scientists fear can be transmitted to humans — into the water supply.
A ministry spokesman said a final decision on cattle disposal is expected within days.
Blair has promised a decision soon on whether to vaccinate 180,000 dairy cattle against foot-and-mouth, a move he is reluctant to make because it would lengthen the time Britain needs to regain its "foot-and-mouth-free" trade status after the disease is eradicated. Vaccination has become more appealing as the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of livestock has failed to stop the epidemic.
The prime minister is also under pressure to choose a general election date. Some say it would be inappropriate to call an election May 3 as planned while the foot-and-mouth crisis still grips the countryside.
Blair has until Friday to call a May 3 vote, but his office has said a decision may come sooner.
Some have speculated that he could postpone balloting until June 7. With fears rising that the U.S. economic downturn could ripple across the Atlantic, Blair would probably be reluctant to wait much longer.
Britain's third largest political party, the Liberal Democrats, joined the main opposition Conservatives in calls for a delay. Speaking at a party conference, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy also challenged Blair to announce his plans soon "so the continuing bout of uncertainty can be brought to a close."