SWINE fever could have spread to the Isle of Wight, it is feared.
A pig on an unnamed farm is being tested for the virulent virus, which experts say is harmless to humans.
The Isle of Wight Council has received formal notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) declaring the unit to be an infected place for the purposes of the Swine Fever Order 1963 made under the Animal Health Act 1981.
The notice is a precautionary measure, as swine fever has not been confirmed.
But the results of tests on tissue taken from one of the farm's pigs are expected to come through at the end of the week.
The notice imposes a series of restrictions designed to reduce disease risk, and it will remain in force until the test results are known.
Similar restrictions have been imposed on more than 30 farms across England since classical swine fever was confirmed at a farm in Suffolk on August 8.
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