Foot-And-Mouth Disease : Free Zones
The Union government recently decided to establish foot-and-mouth disease-free zones in eight States — Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
- Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious viral diseaseof livestock that has a significant economic impact.
- The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants.
- It does not affect horses, dogs, or cats.
- Intensively reared animals are more susceptible to the disease than traditional breeds.
- It is a transboundary animal disease (TAD) that deeply affects the production of livestock and disrupts regional and international trade in animals and animal products.
- It is not a human health or food safety threat.
- It is also not related to hand, foot, and mouth disease, which is a common childhood illness caused by a different virus.
- The organism which causes FMD is an aphthovirus of the family Picornaviridae.
- There are seven strains (A, O, C, SAT1, SAT2, SAT3, and Asia1) which are endemic in different countries worldwide.
- Immunity to one type does not protect an animal against other types or subtypes.
- FMD is found in all excretions and secretions from infected animals.
- Notably, these animals breathe out a large amount of aerosolised virus, which can infect other animals via the respiratory or oral routes.
- The disease is rarely fatal in adult animals, but there is often high mortality in young animals.
