Foot and Mouth Disease

What is foot and mouth disease?

Viral disease of cloven hoof stock

Is foot and mouth disease contagious?

Yes, extremely contagious

What animals does foot and mouth disease affect?

Affects both domesticated and wild hoof stock

What is foot and mouth disease a potential organism for?

agroterrorism

What can foot and mouth disease result in?

Can result in severe economic losses

What is true about the spread of foot and mouth disease and where it has been eradicated?

• Was once endemic worldwide

• Has been eradicated in North America

• Was eradicated in Europe but in 2001 the virus was found in the UK and was transmitted to Ireland, the Netherlands, and France

Is foot and mouth disease zoonotic?

No

Is foot and mouth disease monitored?

Highly monitored disease worldwide and in the US

How is foot and mouth disease transmitted?

Direct contact with secretions and excretions

• From the lesions themselves, respiratory, oral

• Semen, milk, etc.

• Virus enters the body through skin, mucous membranes, respiratory, oral routes

• Ingestion of food contaminated with infected viral particles

Fomites can easily spread this virus

Air movement over land and water

What are the clinical symptoms of foot and mouth disease?

• Fever

• Vesicles (blisters) on mucous membranes:

Tongue

Hard palate and other surfaces in the mouth – causes excessive salivation

Teats

Interdigital space

• Secondary infections can cause lameness and mastitis secondary to the vesicles

• Virus induced myocarditis can result in acute death in young animals – more common in pigs than cattle

How is foot and mouth disease diagnosed?

PCR

Virus Isolation

ELISA

What is a problem with using an ELISA to diagnose foot and mouth disease?

Are they showing antibodies from vaccination or the disease. This makes ELISA difficult

Why is accurate diagnosis important in foot and mouth disease?

Vesicles can resemble many other diseases

What is the morbidity and mortality rates of foot and mouth disease?

Disease has an almost 100% morbidity rate but not a high mortality rate, except for young animals

What two things makes it difficult to get rid of foot and mouth disease?

Extremely contagious and the virus is very sturdy in the environment

What aided in the eradication of foot and mouth disease?

Depopulation

How long has the USA been free of foot and mouth disease?

Since 1929

What are some diseases that are similar to foot and mouth disease?

• Vesicular Stomatitis

• Bluetongue

• BVD

• Foot Rot in cattle

• Swine vesicular disease

• Soremouth

What are some methods for treating and preventing foot and mouth disease?

• Culling

Especially in FMD free countries

• Animal Movement Controls

• Vaccination

Primarily in enzootic countries

• Supportive Care – no specific treatment