Foot-and-mouth disease – What is important?

What is foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)? FMD is a viral, highly contagious , usually acute and feverish, typically non-fatal viral disease in cloven-hoofed animals ( cattle , sheep, goats and pigs). Many wild and zoo animals can also get FMD. The mortality of infected cattle ranges between 2–50 %. In the EU, the last large outbreak of FMD was in Bulgaria in 2011, but was very quickly controlled. In Germany, the last FMD outbreak/s occurred in 1988 (with a few isolated cases in 2025 in Brandenburg). Within Germany, the federal state s are responsible for controlling animal diseases. FMD is a listed disease with the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). The disease has the potential to spread very quickly, irrespective of national borders.

Which countries are affected by FMD? Despite the worldwide spread of FMD, it has not been present in the EU for a long time. Endemic cases can be found in Turkey, the Middle East, Africa, several Asian countries and parts of South America. There is a constant risk to European agriculture from illegally imported animal products from FMD countries.

Are humans at risk? FMD is strictly an animal disease and is not transmitted to humans. Isolated human infections have been described in the scientific literature. Patients had direct and intensive contact with diseased cloven-hoofed animal s, or with the FMD virus. In these rare cases, however, the disease was benign . The disease is, therefore, not a zoonosis. Pasteurised milk and dairy products do not present any risk to the human consumer.

What is the causative pathogen of FMD and what serotypes are there? FMD is a vesicular disease of the hooves, oral mucosa and udder that cannot be clinically distinguished from other vesicular diseases. Laboratory diagnostics are therefore crucial for clarifying suspicious cases. The causative agent of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a small (approx. 25–30 nm), non-enveloped virus from the Picornaviridae family, genus Aphthovirus. Because the virus has no envelope, it is very resistant in the environment, especially in cool, dry weather. When dried, it is infectious for months, e.g. in fur s, fabrics, hay and on shoes. It loses its ability to multiply at pH values of 9.

There are 7 serotypes worldwide:

A (from ‘Allemagne’)

O (from the French department of Oise)

C (has not been detected for several years)

SAT 1 to SAT 3 (South African Territories) each with many subtypes without cross-immunity

Asia 1

Infection with one of the serotypes does not provide sufficient protection against infection with the other serotypes.

What are the symptoms in cattle? Incubation period usually 2–7 days

Fever

Decrease in milk yield

Aphthae on tongue and oral mucosa, on claws, or udder

Heart damage in calves

What are the symptoms in pigs? Incubation period 2–12 days

Lameness

Fever

Aphthae on the claws and the mucous membrane of the mouth

Piglet mortality

What are the symptoms in sheep? Incubation period 1–6 days

Often no symptoms

Lameness

Fever

Aphthae on the claws and mucous membranes of the mouth

Lamb mortality

What laboratory diagnostics are available? Material from fresh lesions (swabs from aphthae, detached epithelium) is particularly suitable for virus detection. Saliva swabs are also suitable. The genome is detected from this material using PCR. Further, ELISA tests are available for antibody detection (serum samples).

How is the disease transmitted? The foot-and-mouth disease virus can be transmitted via several routes:

Animal-to-animal contact, including calves

Oral intake of the virus

Contaminated objects (clothing, equipment, hands, footwear, vehicles)

Natural copulation or artificial insemination

Windborne transmission over long distances (up to 60 km over land, up to 300 km over water)

Animals that have recovered from the disease can remain a carrier of the infectious FMD virus for a long period of time.

Are there vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease? Yes, there are vaccines against six of the seven known serotypes of the FMD virus. The vaccine has to exactly match the serotype present in an outbreak, otherwise no protective effect is achieved. Even within a serotype, the closer the strain s are related, the higher the effectiveness.

What are the benefits of the vaccine? The vaccine does not prevent infection, but offers protection against clinical disease and, above all, significantly reduces transmission of the virus. This results in fewer infections within a herd and in the entire animal population.

Why is vaccination not widespread in the EU? Until 1992, three vaccines were used against the FMD viruses that are native to Europe. However, once FMD had been eliminated in Europe, there was no reason to continue these vaccination programs. Different serotypes and subtypes are constantly present in many regions of Africa and Asia. There is, therefore, always a risk that a new serotype or subtype will be introduced that is not covered by the standard vaccination program. However, since the vaccines must be matched as precisely as possible to the virus to be controlled, precautionary vaccination protection that covers all risks is not currently achievable.

Which animals are vaccinated? Veterinarians vaccinate susceptible animals in farms that are located in the designated area for ring vaccination. Vaccination is paid for by the federal states.

EXERCISE:

1. Food and mouth disease is fatal in all cases. A) True B) False

2. Symptoms in all cattle, pigs and sheep are: A) Fever B) Aphthae on the mucous membrane of the mouth C) Weight loss D) Fur loss E) Often no symptoms

3. Currently there are 7 known serotypes worldwide. A) True B) False

You’ll find the answer below.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. https://landwirtschaft.hessen.de 2. https://www.fli.de/de/aktuelles/tierseuchengeschehen/maul-und-klauenseuche/ 3. www.acvp.org 4. www.daera-ni.gov.uk 5. www.dict.cc 6. www.merckvetmanual.com 7. www.openagrar.de 8. www.webster-dictionary.org 9. www.fli.de

CARMEN LOBITZ Carmen Lobitz ist freie Trainerin, Lehrerin und MTL. Sie gründete 1998 in Berlin lobitz seminare, die unter anderem Englischseminare für Health Professionals anbieten.

Kontakt: mail@lobitz-seminare.de

www.lobitz-seminare.de

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Lösung für Exercise:

1. B

2. A, B

3. A

Foot-and-mouth disease – What is important?

What is foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)?

Which countries are affected by FMD?

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Foot-and-mouth disease – What is important?

What is foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)?

Which countries are affected by FMD?

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