What is the importance of foot-and-mouth disease?
FMD is important in international trade in animals and animal products, with countries that are free of the disease banning or restricting imports from affected countries. This means an outbreak would have serious economic implications for a major livestock-exporting country like Australia.
How long did foot and mouth last in 2001?
In the end, the UK finally declared free of the foot-and-mouth disease on 14 January 2002, with no new negative tests, after 11 months of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
When did the foot-and-mouth disease start?
Foot-and-mouth was discovered at an Essex abattoir on 19 February 2001 and it quickly spread across the UK. The highly infectious disease, which mainly affected cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, plunged the agricultural industry into its worst crisis for decades.
What caused the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak?
Before the possible presence of FMD in the country was reported to the authorities on 19 February 2001, windborne spread of the virus from Burnside Farm had infected sheep and cattle on nearby farms in Northumberland including Prestwick Hall Farm (outbreak FMD/06) that was the second farm to show disease in …
Does foot-and-mouth disease affect humans?
Foot-and-mouth disease is also known as hoof-and-mouth disease because it only affects livestock. Cows, sheep, goats and pigs can get it — but humans can’t. Different viruses cause the two diseases.
Who is responsible for foot-and-mouth disease?
The virus responsible for FMD is an aphthovirus, foot-and-mouth disease virus. Infection occurs when the virus particle is taken into a cell of the host.
When was the last major outbreak of foot and mouth?
The 1967 crisis saw the last reported case of human foot-and-mouth disease. The victim was a farm-worker who was believed to have contracted the virus by consuming contaminated milk. The disease was not life-threatening and they were able to recover within several weeks.
When was the last outbreak of foot and mouth disease in England?
Before 2001, foot-and-mouth had last been seen in the UK in 1967. But the policies that came in failed to keep pace with changes in farming. Animals now moved far greater distances before ending up as meat in the shops, which allowed the virus to spread rapidly.
What is the origin of foot-and-mouth disease?
1. Introduction. The earliest description of probable foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in cattle was made by an Italian monk, Hieronymus Fracastorius, in Venice in 1514. The affected animals refused their feed, the oral mucosa showed redness and the animals had vesicles in the oral cavity and on their feet.
Where did foot-and-mouth disease originate from?
It originated from Michigan, but its entry into the stockyards in Chicago turned it into an epizootic. About 3,500 livestock herds were infected across the US, totaling over 170,000 cattle, sheep, and swine. The eradication came at a cost of US$4.5 million (equivalent to $122 million in 2021).
Can foot-and-mouth disease affect humans?
Humans are only extremely rarely infected by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). (Humans, particularly young children, can be affected by hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMDV), which is often confused for FMDV. Similarly, HFMDV is a viral infection belonging to the Picornaviridae family, but it is distinct from FMDV.
Where did foot and mouth originate from?
Introduction. The earliest description of probable foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in cattle was made by an Italian monk, Hieronymus Fracastorius, in Venice in 1514. The affected animals refused their feed, the oral mucosa showed redness and the animals had vesicles in the oral cavity and on their feet.