THE HESITATION and the political denial that marked the failed handling of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in 2001 appears to be absent this time round. For farmers still suffering from the fallout six years on, there has always been the emotional reality that the return of this disease would be a case of when, not if.

Clearly lessons have been learned; and the contingency plans drawn up by Defra, the government department which covers rural affairs, now look more robust and authoritative.

And so they should be. Six years is a decent enough time to prepare a strategy to combat a disease that cost the UK economy £38.5 billion when it last struck.

From what we so far know, the reaction of the relevant authorities has been swift, and it appears to have paid off with the link made late last night between a distinct strain of the foot and mouth virus and the same strain being manufactured at a research lab in Pirbright close to the outbreak.

This is by no means the end of the matter. But it does mark a significant result in limiting its damage, a result that can be put down to a determination to act and act quickly to deliver evidence on source of the outbreak.

Finding the strain was a key part of the scientific detective work and last night the chief vet, Dr Debby Reynolds, praised the speed of investigators in linking the lab with the strain of the infected animals.

Although the crisis is not over, there is genuine hope the worst can be avoided. Measures to restrict livestock movement were quickly imposed and accepted by farmers. These will remain till there is confirmation that the spread from the lab to the Surrey farm is all there is. But there are no guarantees.

There appears to be a united determination to fight this outbreak, with Gordon Brown again calling on the assistance of all the talen to deliver quick successful control measures that will confine FMD in 2007 to as small a footprint on the rural landscape as possible.

This display of unity and coalition effort is the desired signature Gordon Brown wants to offer. This is still a national emergency, and it may yet still require a wider national effort.

The success at quickly identifying the likely source, points to fears of a wider epidemic easing. But the unity so far shown indicates that when a lot is at stake, a joint solution is better than a division of effort with no return.

A lot is at stake, and not just economic damage to Britain's farmers and their livestock.