Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a viral infection that targets animals such as cattle, pigs, goats, and deer. Although it does not infect humans, its relief impact is devastating, both economically and agriculturally.
What Is Foot and Mouth Disease?
FMD is brought about by Pie’s Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), a member of the Picornaviridae family. The virus spreads rapidly by direct contact, equipment, or contaminated food, and in the air under specific conditions. Epidemics resulted in the beneficial culling of animals and strict controls.
Significant Symptoms in Animals:
- Fever
- Blistering of the mouth, tongue, teats, and between the hooves
- Lameness
- Excessive salivation or drooling
- Decreased appetite and weight loss
Although most animals survive, the disease results in serious losses in productivity, e.g., lowered milk production, lower weight gain, and permanent infertility.
How Is FMD Spread?
FMD is extremely infectious. FMD can be spread by:
- Direct animal-to-animal contact
- Food, water, bedding, or equipment that has become contaminated
- Human clothes, footwear, and cars
- Airborne spread (over large distances during certain weather conditions)
The virus can persist for extended periods in the environment, especially under cool, humid conditions.
Global Impact of FMD
FMD is rated as one of the economically most important animal diseases globally. Free countries from FMD enforce rigorous importation restrictions to safeguard their livestock industries. An outbreak would result in:
- Immediate export prohibitions on meat and dairy
- Mass slaughter of infected and exposed animals
- Interference with local food supply chains
- Colossal economic losses for farmers and governments
Developing nations are especially at risk because of a lack of veterinary infrastructure and control programs.
Prevention and Control
FMD is not treatable, but a major control tool is vaccination. Yet, due to the existence of several different serotypes of the virus (with limited cross-protection), vaccine development and use can be challenging.
- Principal control measures are:
- Quarantine and restrictions on movement
- Surveillance and early detection
- Culling affected and exposed animals
- Disinfection of equipment, premises, and vehicles
- Public education campaigns for farmers and laborers
FMD and Human Health
Although FMD is essentially an animal disease, humans can become infected very infrequently, typically by direct contact with the animals. Human infections are mild, frequently accompanied by flu-like symptoms and blisters, and do not usually result in serious illness.
Knuckling in Calves (Flexural Limb Deformity)
Final Thoughts
The mouth and foot diseases pose a serious threat to the world’s farms. Supervision, early detection, and rapid response are necessary to manage epidemic animal and food health and food. To farmers, direct and decisive, FMD is a somber reminder of the necessity and international collaboration in control of the disease.
