Foot and Mouth Disease

Trina Johnson, Cari Ostrom, Carolyn Ritter, Craig Spray, and Lindsay Wilson

What is Foot and Mouth?

• Acute viral infectious disease• Begins with fever, followed by the

development of vesicles on mouth and feet

• Very infectious and spreads rapidly• Wild and domesticated cloven hoofed

animals are affected• Rarely fatal, but pregnant animals often

abort and dairy cattle may dry up

Illustration

Universal Symptoms of Foot and Mouth Disease

• Shivering • Tender and sore feet• Slobbering and smacking lips• Blisters on hoof, feet, snout, or

tongue

Illustration

Clinical disease and diagnosis

All species of cloven-hoofed animals are susceptible to FMD, including domestic livestock and wild ungulates. Clinical signs are essentially similar in all species although the severity may vary.

Specific signs in Cattle

• Slobbering and smacking lips• Shivering• Tender and sore feet• Reduced milk yield• Sores and blisters on feet• Raised body temperature

Specific signs in Sheep

• Sudden, severe lameness• Lying down frequently and

unwillingness to rise• Reluctance to move• Blisters found on the hoof, dental

pad and sometimes tongue

Specific signs in Swine

• Sudden lameness• Preference to lie down• Loud squeal and hobbling when set

into motion• Blisters may develop on snout,

tongue and/or hoof

Important!!

Swine Vesicular Disease has identical symptoms to FMD. Therefore anyone who sees blisters in pigs must report the sighting as suspected FMD, until laboratory tests prove otherwise.

How it’s spread!

Although there are numerous ways this disease can be spread, three surface to the top.

Most predominant paths of transmission are…..

• Human intervention• Animal to Animal contact• Airborne transmission

Human intervention

• People wearing contaminated clothing, or footwear

• Using contaminated equipment I.e. veterinary tools, shovels, etc.

• Contaminated vehicles traveling from farm to farm

• Using contaminated facilities to house susceptible animals

Animal to Animal contact

• Animals carrying the virus are introduced to susceptible herds

• Susceptible cows inseminated by infected bulls

• Direct contact with infected wildlife

Airborne transmission

• Through the air in aerosols from infected animals

• Birds can play a substantial role in transmission as well

Ways to Control Foot and Mouth Disease

• Vaccination• Surveillance programs• Quarantine procedures• Establishment of control zones• Strict Biosecurity• Reporting of confirmed cases• Using All-In/All-Out• Cleansing and disinfection

– Over 250 approved disinfectants (www.ahda.org.uk/disinfectants.htm)

Vaccine Choice

• Safe• Potent

– Proven protection• Appropriate

– Consult National or International Reference laboratory or a manufacturer about the most appropriate strain to use

Vaccine Strains Have Been Selected For Their:

• Immunogenicity• Ability to grow well in tissue culture• Broad antigenic spectrum

Individual Herd Vaccination

• Reduces the morbidity in adults• Reduces mortality in young• Reduces likelihood of incursion• Can reduce the severity and

duration of the disease due to raising the herds immunity level

• Combined with good biosecurity control

Advice to Farmers

• Keep Livestock separate• Deal with sheep last• Keep yourself clean• Keep the farm secure• Keep unnecessary vehicles away• Clean and disinfect• Avoid visiting other farms• Look for early signs of disease

Eradication of FMD

• Slaughter and disposal is essential to eliminate the source

• A rapid and complete elimination is necessary

Disposal

• Cremation (preferred)• Burial• Rendering

Movement controls

• Infected area• Protection zone• Surveillance zone

Emergency Vaccine(Two Objectives)

• Dampening down vaccinations• Protective emergency vaccinations

to produce an immune belt

Questions?