Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

Although this disease does not affect dogs or cats, we have been frequently asked about it and want to lay your fears to rest. We are not a bovine (cattle) practitioners and to get the most accurate and detailed information available, please go to www.aphis.usda.gov or call the USDA toll free line 1-800-601-9327.

Foot and Mouth Disease is a disease which affects cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and other cloven-foot ruminants (many chambered stomachs.) It has recently gained publicity due to an outbreak in Europe. It is caused by a virus and causes severe blisters and fever. It spreads easily in water, on bedding, carcasses, animal by-products, and pastures. People, but does not infect them can spread it. FMD is easily the most economically devastating disease affecting livestock. During this outbreak, whole herds have been slaughtered and their remains burnt to prevent spread of the infection.

The US has not had an outbreak since 1929. The USDA has been taking dramatic steps to prevent the spread of disease here. The USDA has temporarily banned the import of any animals or animal products from the European Union the US. Travelers from Europe near rural areas are required to dip their feet in foot baths before entering at our airports and can have their luggage inspected. American veterinarians specializing in this disease have gone to Europe to lend assistance in stopping this outbreak. They are doing everything possible to prevent spread to the US. This disease would have severe economic repercussions if there were an outbreak here. The price of cheese, milk, and meat would skyrocket and many cattle would be slaughtered. At present, there have been no cases of FMD in the US.

What can you do? Tell your congressman how much you support the stringent controls placed by the USDA, and try to get them to increase funding to the USDA. Do not accept any meat products from Europe. Notify the USDA of any suspect animals: slobbering, sick, or lame livestock.

Do you need to be concerned about FMD here? No. The media likes to make a big story of the fact that FMD can spread here. Due to vigilance of the USDA, the risk of spread to the US and affecting you directly is minimal.

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Mad Cow Disease

Another disease of cattle, which is in the news, is Mad Cow Disease. The name of this disease is Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). You can throw that name around at a cocktail party. It is a disease which causes disease of the brain in cattle which can cause nervousness, aggression, incoordination, and eventually death. Its special importance is that it is believed (but not proven) to be associated with Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, a disease of people which causes dementia, seizures, and eventually death in people. This disease occurs in 1-2 of every million people all over the world including the US. We do not have Mad Cow disease here, so obviously other factors are involved.

Mad Cow disease is caused by an infectious protein called a prion. It was first discovered in 1986. Since then, over 175,000 cattle have been positive in Great Britain. The cause of the spread of the disease is thought to be the practice of feeding cattle rendered protein from carcasses of sheep infected with a similar disease called scrapie. This disease does not exist in the US. We do not feed cattle meat and bone meal and the USDA has taken measures to prevent the transmission here. There is no import of live ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats) from infected countries or any by-products like meat and bone meal. While the media makes a great deal about this disease, in the US you do not need to worry. While in affected countries, I would ask before consuming any beef, pork, sheep, or goat meat. You can do more by contacting your congressperson and tell them that you support USDA regulations protecting us from Mad Cow disease and Foot and Mouth disease. This will help ensure that funding will be available to the USDA to continue their monitoring. For more information about Mad Cow Disease or BSE, go to www.aphis.usda.gov or the CDC at (404) 639-3091.