Foot and Mouth Disease

What is Foot and Mouth (FMD) disease? Foot and mouth disease is an acute infectious viral disease of livestock causing fever, followed by the development of vesicles (blisters) chiefly in the mouth and on the feet. It is one of the most infectious diseases affecting livestock and spreads rapidly if uncontrolled. It affects cloven-hoofed animals (those with divided hoofs) including cattle, buffalo, camels, sheep, goats, deer and pigs. Further details on Foot and Mouth disease are available via the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (external link). Also refer to Information note: AG0012- Recognising Foot and Mouth Disease. Where does it occur? It is reported in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America. There were outbreaks in Europe in 2001 caused by the Pan Asia Type O virus strain.

Figure 1. Unruptured blister on tongue

Foot and Mouth Disease Links

• Animal Health Australia (external link) - Emergency Animal Disease Preparedness Program including the AUSVETPLAN disease control strategy for FMD.
  
  
• World Organisation for Animal Health (O.I.E.) (external link) - Information on foot and mouth disease and reported outbreaks around the world.
  
  
• The Institute for Animal Health, UK: Foot and Mouth Disease (external link) - World news, FMD overview, World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (WRLFMD): monthly and annual reports, links to other FMD related Web sites.
  
  
• The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (external link) - The commission is functioning under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The Web site provides information on various reports related to the FMD virus as well as recent news and resolutions.
  
  
• UK Government website on FMD (external link) - including access to reports on the 2001 outbreak.

• Exercise Diva ’09 – foot & mouth disease simulation