What is Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)?

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of livestock. It can rapidly spread through a region if control and eradication practices are not imple-mented upon its detection. Weight loss, poor growth, permanent hoof damage, and chronic mastitis are just some of the sequelae of infection. The detection of FMD in a country impacts international trade and embargoes could cause significant economic losses.

The foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is in the family Picornaviridae, genus Aphthovirus. There are 7 immunologically distinct serotypes and over 60 subtypes. New subtypes occasionally develop spontaneously. The FMDV is inactivated at a pH below 6.5 or above 11. The virus can survive in milk and milk products when regular pasteurization temperatures are used. However, it is inactivated by ultra high-temperature pasteurization procedures. Virus stability increases at lower temperatures and can survive in frozen bone marrow or lymph nodes. The virus can also survive dry-ing and may persist for days to weeks in organic matter under moist and cool tempera-tures. It is inactivated on dry surfaces and by UV radiation (sunlight).

FMDV primarily affects cloven-hoofed domestic and wild animals, including cat-tle, pigs, sheep, goats, and water buffalo. Other susceptible species include hedgehogs, armadillos, nutrias, elephants, capybaras, rats, and mice.

Source : The Center For Food Security & Public Health Iowa State University

What is Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)?

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