Foot-and-mouth disease

Foot-and-mouth disease
Specialty	Infectious diseases, veterinary medicine

Template:Taxobox begin Template:Taxobox begin placement virus Template:Taxobox group iv entry Template:Taxobox familia entry Template:Taxobox genus entry Template:Taxobox species entry Template:Taxobox end placement Template:Taxobox end Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD, Latin name Aphtae epizooticae), sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease, is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal viral disease of cattle and pigs. It can also infect deer, goats, sheep, and other animals with cloven hooves, as well as elephants, rats, and hedgehogs. Humans are affected only very rarely. The cause of FMD was first shown to be viral in 1897 by Friedrich Loeffler. He passed the blood of an infected animal through a fine porcelain-glass filter and found that the fluid that was collected could still cause the disease in healthy animals.

FMD occurs throughout much of the world, and whilst some countries have been free of FMD for some time, its wide host range and rapid spread represent cause for international concern. After World War II, the disease was widely distributed throughout the world. In 1996, endemic areas included Asia, Africa, and parts of South America; currently Chile is free, and Uruguay and Argentina have not had an outbreak since April 1994. North America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan have been free of FMD for many years. Most European countries have been recognized as free, and countries belonging to the European Union have stopped FMD vaccination; however, in 2001, a serious outbreak of FMD in Britain resulted in the slaughter of many animals, the cancellation of many sporting events and leisure activities such as Ten Tors and the postponing of the general election for a month. Due to strict government policies on sale of livestock, disinfection of all persons leaving and entering farms and the cancellation of large events likely to be attended by farmers, a potentially economically disastrous epidemic was avoided in the Republic of Ireland, with just 1 case recorded in Proleek, Co. Louth.

There are seven different FMD serotypes - O, A, C, SAT-1, SAT-2, SAT-3 and Asia-1. These serotypes show some regionality, and the O serotype is most common.

Symptoms

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