Foot and Mouth Disease Fastfact

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

What is foot and mouth How does FMD affect my Who should I contact if I disease and what causes it? animal? suspect FMD? Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is The most common signs of foot Contact your veterinarian a highly contagious viral disease of and mouth disease are fever and immediately. FMD is not currently cloven-hoofed (two-toed) animals (e.g., the formation of blisters, ulcers and found in the United States; suspicion cattle, pigs, sheep). FMD causes painful sores on the mouth, tongue, nose, of the disease requires immediate sores and blisters on the feet, mouth feet, and teats. Foot lesions occur in attention. the area of the coronary band and and teats of animals. between the toes. Infected cattle are How can I protect my animal Foot and mouth disease is a high depressed, reluctant to move, and from FMD? consequence livestock disease due to unwilling or unable to eat, which can To prevent the introduction of FMD, its potential for rapid spread, severe lead to decreased milk production, use strict biosecurity procedures on trade restrictions and the subsequent weight loss, and poor growth. Affected your farm. Isolate any new introductions economic impacts that would result. animals may also have nasal discharge or animal returning to the farm for The disease occurs in parts of Asia, and excessive salivation. Pigs often several weeks before introducing them have sore feet but less commonly into the herd. Minimize visitors on Africa, the Middle East and South develop mouth lesions. Sheep and your farm, especially those that have America, but has been eradicated goats show very mild, if any, signs of traveled from countries with FMD. from North America, Australia, New disease, however they can still spread Clean coveralls and boots should be Zealand, Greenland, Iceland, and most the virus. Death is uncommon from worn when contact with livestock is of Europe. this disease, but it can occur in young expected. These items should remain on the farm and be cleaned and What animals get FMD? animals. Permanent hoof damage and chronic mastitis can occur. disinfected prior to re-use. Thoroughly FMD affects cattle, pigs, sheep, clean and disinfect equipment and goats, deer, and other cloven-hoofed Can I get FMD? animal areas. Monitor your animals animals. Other animals that have been Infections in humans are extremely for signs of the disease. Isolate any ill found susceptible include hedgehogs, rare. Mild blister like lesions can occur. animals and contact your veterinarian armadillos, nutrias, elephants, capybaras, FMD is not considered to be a public immediately. rats and mice. Foot-and-mouth disease health problem. does not affect horses. For More Information How can my animal get FMD? CFSPH Technical Fact Sheets. Foot and Foot-and-mouth disease is spread by Foot and Mouth Disease mouth disease at http://www.cfsph. direct contact, such as when a healthy is a highly contagious iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/foot_ animal touches, rubs, or licks an animal viral disease that affects and_mouth_disease.pdf that is sick. The virus may also spread by cloven-hoofed animals USAHA Foreign Animal Diseases (The aerosol depending on environmental and has severe economic Gray Book) at http://www.aphis.usda. temperature and humidity. Animals gov/emergency_response/down- consequences. may also become infected from eating loads/nahems/fad.pdf (oral) contaminated feed or by contact World Organization for Animal Health with contaminated objects (fomites). (OIE) Foot and mouth disease infor- FMD virus can be carried on clothes, mation at http://www.oie.int/animal- shoes, vehicles and even in the nasal health-in-the-world/official-disease- passages of people that have had status/fmd/ contact with infected animals. Photos from Oregon State Extension and Dr. Stuart Thompson, Medical College of Georgia