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Foot and Mouth Disease

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What is Foot and Mouth Disease?

Foot and Mouth Disease is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. Elephants, hedgehogs and some rodents are also susceptible to the virus but do not develop clinical signs of the disease. The disease is characterized by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves. Many affected animals recover, but the disease leaves them weakened and debilitated. Horses are not affected.

Canada has been free of Foot and Mouth Disease since 1952.

Public Health?

Foot and Mouth Disease is not a public health threat. Human cases are extremely rare. This animal disease is NOT RELATED to the human condition -- Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (Coxsackie virus).

How is it spread?

Animals, people or materials can spread Foot and Mouth Disease. An outbreak can occur when:

• People wearing contaminated clothes or footwear, or using contaminated equipment, pass the virus to susceptible animals.
• Animals carrying the virus are introduced into susceptible herds.
• Contaminated facilities and vehicles are used to hold and move susceptible animals.
• Meat or animal products infected with the virus or raw or improperly cooked food waste containing infected meat or animal products is fed to susceptible animals.
• Susceptible animals are exposed to contaminated materials such as hay, feed, water, semen or biologics.

Is Foot and Mouth Disease a serious disease?

Foot and Mouth Disease is an extremely serious livestock illness and it is one of the most contagious of animal diseases. The disease also causes severe production losses in domestic livestock. Canadian animals are highly susceptible. If an outbreak occurred, the virus could spread rapidly to all parts of the country through routine livestock movements. Unless detected early and eradicated immediately, losses could reach billions of dollars in the first year. Wildlife such as deer, elk and bison could become infected and remain a reservoir for the virus.

What can you do?

In order to prevent spread of any disease, all farm visitors should follow sound biosecurity measures such as washing and disinfecting all personal effects and equipment used on any other farms that have accompanied them. It is particularly important to clean and disinfect footwear or provide visitors with footwear.

If you travel:

• Declare all meat, dairy or other animal products that you want to bring back to Canada.

• If you visited a farm while abroad make sure that the clothing and footwear you wore during your visit are free from soil or manure. Clean and disinfect your footwear. Dry cleaning of clothes is recommended.

• Stay away from Canadian farms for 14 days (as recommended by the Office International des Épizooties) after returning to Canada

If you farm in Canada:

• Prevent farm or ranch visits by anyone who has been to a known FMD affected country. Although humans are not susceptible to Foot and Mouth Disease, they can serve as carriers.

• If visitors must come to the farm they should take additional sanitary precautions such as washing and disinfecting all personal effects and equipment that have accompanied them. It is particularly important to clean and disinfect footwear.

If you suspect the disease in your herd:

• Foot and Mouth Disease is a reportable disease under the authority of the Health of Animals Regulations. This means anyone who suspects the disease in animals has a legal responsibility to notify the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

• You should isolate the sick animal and call your local CFIA area office. Everyone on the farm who has had contact with the sick animal should avoid contact with other livestock producers. As much as possible, no person or thing should enter or leave your property until a trained veterinary diagnostician from CFIA has investigated the situation.

• Please call your local CFIA office (refer to blue pages of your phone book) or refer to the Website Import Contact List (www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/import/conpere.shtml) for more information on Foot and Mouth Disease in general or for information on the disease status of other countries.

What will the CFIA do?

The CFIA investigates all reports of disease with signs that are similar to Foot and Mouth Disease. This disease can be confused with several other animal illnesses. Vesicles or blisters are the most apparent clinical sign. The blisters occur on the nose, tongue, lips, between the toes, above the hooves and on the teats. Foot lesions are accompanied by acute lameness and reluctance to move. Additional signs include fever, depression and loss of appetite or milk production. Whenever blisters or other typical signs are observed, laboratory tests must be completed at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases in Winnipeg, to confirm the disease. Animals will be placed under quarantine when exhibiting signs that are highly suggestive of Foot and Mouth Disease, or when the laboratory confirms the disease.

Should the disease be confirmed in Canada, CFIA will immediately quarantine all premises with susceptible animals surrounding the infected farm to monitor for signs of the disease. Enhanced on-farm biosecurity is necessary to prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease should it enter Canada. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food will make a declaration that determines the boundaries of a Control Area. At that time, the movement of all susceptible animals and potentially infectious material in the Control Area is prohibited without CFIA permission. There will be extensive surveillance and testing by CFIA until the outbreak is under control.

Media/Public communication

It is extremely important not to speculate on the suspicion of the disease until it is confirmed in a CFIA laboratory, in order to prevent potential misinformation that could create unnecessary panic in the event the suspicion of disease is negative.

In the event of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, producers should consult with CFIA staff and identified industry representatives prior to talking to the public or the media.

How to get more information?

Contact your Canadian Food Inspection Agency Area Office:

You can find your local Canadian Food Inspection Agency District Office on the CFIA Web site or by consulting the blue pages of your local phone directory.