LONDON, England (CNN) -- Tests have confirmed a second foot-and-mouth outbreak in southern England, the government has confirmed, raising fears that the highly contagious animal virus is spreading.
Chief Veterinary Officer, Debby Reynolds said tests showed that a herd of cattle had been infected.
The animals were culled Monday evening after showing signs of the disease.
Britain's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said Monday a herd of more than 50 cattle on a second farm within the protection zone in Surrey had shown signs of the highly contagious disease.
Confirmation of the second case comes a day after the European Union said it would restrict all live animals, fresh meat and milk products from mainland Great Britain.
Laboratory results Friday confirmed the first outbreak of the disease was found in cattle at a farm in Surrey County, England.
Culling of the 38 infected cattle in Surrey was completed Saturday, DEFRA said in a posting on its Web site. Cattle on two additional sites that together make up the enterprise and animals on an adjacent farm were also culled.
One of the additional cattle tested positive for the illness, it said.
Announcing its ban, EU Commission spokesman Philip Tod declared all of Britain except Northern Ireland as a "high-risk area," but also praised the country's government for taking swift action.
"We welcome the speed with which the British authorities have confirmed the strain of the virus which is being dealt with and will await the results of their investigation into the possible origins of the outbreak," Tod said.
Health and safety experts are expected to reveal Tuesday their initial findings of an investigation into the source of the disease.
The inquiry has focused so far on a research facility in Pirbright, a few miles from the infected farms.
The laboratories, which store foot-and-mouth disease for use in vaccines, are shared between the Institute for Animal Health (IAH), a diagnostic and research center, and pharmaceutical company Merial Animal Health, whose work includes manufacturing vaccines.
Both organizations use the strain of the virus detected in slaughtered cattle at the first farm, but both have insisted there was no evidence of breaches in biosecurity at their labs.
"Merial managing director David Biland said Monday the company had been manufacturing vaccines for 15 years under strict adherence to quality control standards and never had such a problem, but welcomed the investigation and would comply with it.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has vowed that the government will do everything in its power to halt the outbreak.
Britain's farming industry is still suffering from a 2001 outbreak of the virus that led to the culling of millions of animals, many in giant pyres.
The 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak in the UK -- blamed for nearly 2,000 cases of the disease -- led to the slaughter of more than 3.5 million sheep, cows and pigs in a bid to contain the disease. The government was accused of reacting too slowly, allowing the disease to spread.
Foot-and-mouth disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats, deer and other animals, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
