Foot-And-Mouth Disease : Outbreak In Germany
Germany has experienced its first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years, affecting water buffalo near Berlin.
- Foot-and-mouth Disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of 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.
- The disease is estimated to circulate in 77% of the global livestock population, in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as in a limited area of South America.
- 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
- 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.
- FMD is characterised by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats, and between the hooves.
- Ruptured blisters can result in extreme lameness and reluctance to move or eat.
- The disease causes severe production losses, and while the majority of affected animals recover, the disease often leaves them weakened and debilitated.
- It was the first disease for which the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) established official status recognition.
- Vaccines for FMD are available but must be matched to the specific type and subtype of virus causing the outbreak.
