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Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral • Other animal-related products (straw, hay, packing material,
infection which affects cattle, swine and other ruminants crop movements, feed, farm equipment, shipping
causing painful lesions in and around the mouth, as well as containers)
the feet. FMD is not normally fatal for adult animals, but in • Legal human movements (civilian) from foreign countries
young animals the fatality rate rises. An FMD outbreak causes • Live animals (zoo, breeding livestock)
considerable economic loss because the infection makes • Animal germplasm
eating and moving difficult and painful, so considerable • Inedible animal products (fertilizer, vaccines and other
weight loss occurs. It generally takes some months for recovery, biologics, cosmetics, etc.)
and the animals who do recover may be very debilitated and
suffer from lameness, abortion, chronic inflammation of the This same report also contains results from a study conducted
udder, etc. from 1969 to 1993 showing that imported livestock, animal
vaccines, escapes of virus from production facilities along
FMD was found as early as 350 B.C. There are many known with meat and garbage contamination accounted for 69%
serotypes as well as numerous subtypes which makes it very of FMD outbreaks. Generally, animal movement outbreaks
difficult to maintain a vaccine supply that will accurately were attributed to livestock crossing into neighboring areas.
match an outbreak strain. In this regard the US has a definite advantage since both of
its neighbors — Canada and Mexico — are FMD-free. FMD-
Few countries in the world have not been affected by FMD. free status is maintained by monitoring for FMD and being
The last known incidence in the United States was in 1929, aware of where and how outbreaks occur. Regulation,
but there were series outbreaks in 2001 which affected US inspection, interception and surveillance also play an important
trading partners. A FMD outbreak will have an extremely part in this mission.
negative impact not only on livestock, but their commodities
as well since during outbreaks imports and exports are severely When thinking about controlling FMD and, if necessary,
curtailed. Should at outbreak occur in the US, losses to the eradication, the following are important points to consider:
industry could be 10 - 20% . • FMD is fast moving; it takes only hours to cause infection.
• The virus can survive for several weeks on equipment,
Following is an excerpt from an interagency Report to
clothing, and for 28 hours in nasal passages.
Congress on preventing FMD which lists the ways FMD could
• Humans can spread the disease if they come into contact
enter the US:
with the virus.
• It can be killed by heat, disinfection and pH adjustment.
• Contraband (prohibited meat products carried by
passengers/in cargo containers/sent by mail/courier, black
The Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health
market)
Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for US FMD
• Illegal transshipments (products from other than stated
monitoring/surveillance efforts. APHIS maintains teams of
point of origin)
federal, state and university personnel which respond to
• Garbage (small boats/private planes)
foreign animal disease outbreaks throughout the world. These
• Edible animal products (fresh, frozen, chilled meat/dairy
products) teams are trained to recognize these various diseases and to
• Garbage (commercial ships/planes) take the steps necessary to control an outbreak. A trained
• Illegal human movements from foreign countries (illegal APHIS team member is within four driving hours away from
immigrants) any area of the continental US should they be needed.
References
1. “Animal Disease Risk Assessment, Prevention, and Control Act of
2001 (PL107-9) Final Report”, January 2003. A Report to Congress
on FMD Prevention, see www.aphis.usda.gov.
2. “Appendices to PL 107-9 Interagency Working Group Final Report,
Appendix 6, The Economic Consequences of Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy and Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreaks in the
United States”, USDA Economic Research Service, Kenneth H.
Matthews, Jr., and Janet Perry.
4. FMDInfo.org, Food-and-Mouth Disease: Information, New
Resources, www.fmdinfo.org/aboutfmd.aspx, Copyright 2005
Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemens’ Beef Association.
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