The farmers at the centre of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey said yesterday that they and their families were "devastated" by what had happened.
Roger Pride, who runs Woolford's farm near Godalming in Surrey with his wife Valerie, said they were victims of circumstances beyond their control.
In a statement read at a press conference by Anthony Gibson from the National Farmers' Union, Mr Pride described the moment when it was confirmed his animals were infected.
He said: "For a moment we couldn't believe it. We were completely shocked and devastated. It felt as if our whole world was turned upside-down."
He said his father Derrick, who established the holding with his mother Sheila, first realised that some cattle in a field were "off colour and drooling" last Thursday. Mr Pride also looked at the animals and a vet was called to examine them and advised the farmer to inform the department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra). A vet was on the farm 90 minutes later. The cattle were tested the next day and, at about 7pm on Friday, foot-and-mouth was confirmed by a phone call from Defra.
Mr Pride said: "The theory that the sewer which overflows into part of the field where the 38 cattle were grazing could be the cause is an obvious possibility. Certainly no one at the farm has had contact with the Pirbright facility.
"We have always practised the highest standards of biosecurity at Woolford Farm, have been meticulous with our record keeping. No animals have been moved on to or off the farm since early June."
He is being compensated for the loss of his herd but the reputation of his farm and its shop, where much of his meat is sold, will be far harder to recover, he said. "It's our reputation, rather than the loss of the animals," he said. "It's taken 20 years to build up our [farm shop's] reputation and that kind of thing is hard to get back again."
Asked if the outbreak could spell the end of the Pride family's farming enterprise, he said he had farmed at Woolford for 31 years and his father for 50, adding: "It's been our life. We will carry on."
The owner of the second farm involved in the outbreak, John Gunner, spoke of his devastation at his home in Wood Street village, near Guildford.
"It has just wiped us out. It is our only income. I'm just devastated. I will try and recover but it will be difficult."
He said he had initially thought Friday's reports of the outbreak in Surrey, in Mr Pride's herd nearby at Normandy, were mistaken. "It was not good because we are so close," he said.
His cattle received the all-clear from vets on Sunday, so Mr Gunner was hopeful the disease would bypass his herd - but by Monday they were showing signs of illness, including limping and drooling.
With tears rolling down his face, he said: "By this time, my old bull Ned, he was not very well. He was like having a pet dog, he was about eight years old . . . He had great pedigree, he was so gentle."
Mr Gunner, who has spent years building up his pedigree Sussex herd, said a stream runs from the land leased by Mr Pride towards his land.
Describing the moment he was told he would be losing the animals, he said: "The vet people phoned the necessary people and they said, 'would you be prepared to cull them without foot-and-mouth being confirmed?'
"I said 'you've got to do your job'. It was a foregone conclusion. It was unfair to keep them alive." On whether he would continue in farming, his son Stephen said: "I want to but we do not know what will happen."