Foot and Mouth Disease –possible impacts in Australian

red meat industries.

Jeremy Rogers, Senior Veterinary Officer

Foot and Mouth Disease

Would you recognise it if you saw it?

What is it?

What is the impact / seriousness of the disease to Australian red meat industries?

What would you do if you saw these lesions ?

This animal was seen in Murray Bridgein August 2013 !

FMD lesions in sheep – often mild

•Mild clinical disease - “silent shedding and spread”: may go unnoticed •Lameness may be main sign• Mortality in lambs

2 day old lesions, 4 days post-infection

And now  pigs

Pigs – Day 1

Pigs – Day 3 early stages have very high fever

Pigs – Day 3

Pigs – Day 4

Pigs – Day 9

If you see this at a lairage………..

….and this…

….and this…

….and this…Then we could  have a problem!

Foot and Mouth Disease

Would you recognise it if you saw it?

What is it?

Could it get here? 

What is FMD?

FMD is the most infectious animal virus known

Intermediate, sporadic  

Endemic   FMD ‐Free 

Free. Virus present in game  parks

Free with vaccination 

Countries with multiples zones:FMD‐free, free with vaccination or not free

Endemic FMD

FMD affects mainly ruminant animals and pigs but there are over 70 animal species known to be susceptible

Yaks and wild bovidae:Bufallos. Wild boars.  Camelidae (camels, llamas, alpacas, vicunas):subclinical.

Many deer and antelope  Elephants can be experimentally infected. European hedgehogs (Uk 2001) Other small rodents 

Not horses!!!

Other susceptible species

Range 1 to 14 daysmost likely 2‐5 daysDepends on:

– Pathogen dose– Strain– Species– Pre‐existing immunity– Physiological status– Route of transmission– husbandry

Time from INFECTION to DISEASE

DAYS

MEA

SURE

MEN

T

14654321 87 ● ● ● ●

Virus in blood Clinical/Lesions

Antibody response

fever Vesicles and clinical signs

Recovery – scars, lameness, late abortions

Virus Production per day

Cattle Sheep mainly inhalation Goats Pigs ‐ inhalation and / or ingestion  Through skin and mucosae ‐ all species

Routes of Infection

Estimated minimum doses for various species and routes of exposure 

in the UK• 14 days in dry manure • 39 days in urine • up to 6 months in slurry in winter• 3 days on soil in summer and 28 days in autumn

• Up to 20 weeks on hay/straw • up to 4 weeks on cow’s hair at 18 to 20 C

How long does the virus survive in the environment?

Could FMD get to Australia?

Animal and product movements (smuggling). Wildlife

People (contact FMDv)  Samples from infected animals Lab breakdown Imported product before detectionAgro‐terrorism

Risk Factors for entry

FMD contaminated meat products –poorly cured meat

FMDV may survive for prolonged periods in salted and cured meats The virus has been recovered from:

• sausages for up to 56 days • ham fat for up to 183 days • bacon for up to 190 days.

AUSVETPLAN March 2011

Risk Factors for entry

Albania/FYROM 1996: boned in meat from South Asia (India?). Role of pigs scavenging garbage

Greece, 2000: entry across Evros river from Turkish Thrace (unproven, illegal animal movements?)

UK 2001: pigs consuming waste food that had not been adequately heat treated; probably risk material originated from East Asia Feeding of treated waste food to pigs banned across Europe

UK 2007: escape from FMD laboratory EuFMD standard revised for FMD laboratories, fresh inspections

It happens

Questions?