http://www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/qa1.htm#6 The nature of the disease What is it? How is it spread? Which other countries have recently had FMD? Can people contract the disease? Which animals are susceptible? What are the symptoms? What kinds of virus are there? How is the virus destroyed? What are the effects of FMD? Can FMD be cured? Q What is it? It is a highly infectious viral disease in which fever is followed by the development of vesicles or blisters - chiefly in the mouth or on the feet. There are 7 main types of virus, which produce similar symptoms and which can only be differentiated in the laboratory. Q How is it spread? Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious disease that can spread by direct or indirect contact with infected animals. Infected animals begin by excreting the virus a few days before signs of the disease develop. Pigs in particular produce large numbers of virus particles. Airborne spread of the disease takes place readily. The prevailing meteorological conditions and local topography determine the distance that the disease can travel and this may be considerable. For example, circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that the outbreak on the Isle of Wight in 1981 resulted from the airborne spread of the of the virus from Brittany in northern France. The disease is also spread mechanically by the movement of animals, persons, vehicles and other things, which have been contaminated by the virus. Meat from the carcase of animals infected with FMD at the time of slaughter can transmit the virus. In the past outbreaks of the disease have been linked with the importation of infected meat and meat products. Q Which other countries have recently had FMD? FMD is endemic in parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America, with sporadic outbreaks in disease-free areas. Countries affected by FMD in the past twelve months include Butan, Brazil, Columbia, Egypt, Georgia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Malawi, Malaysia, Mongolia, Namibia, Russia, South Africa, Taipei, Tajikstan, Uruguay and Zambia. The last major outbreak of the disease in the EU was in Greece last year. Q Can people contract the disease? Advice from the Department of Health is that it is very rare. There has only been one recorded case of FMD in a human being in Great Britain in 1966. The general effects of the disease in that case were similar to influenza with some blisters. It is a mild short lived, self-limiting disease. The Food Standards Agency has advised that the disease has no implications for the human food chain. There is however a human condition called Hand, Foot and Mouth disease, which is unrelated. It will not affect animals. If you are concerned you should contact your GP. Q Which animals are susceptible? Cattle, sheep, pigs and goats are susceptible and some wild animal such as hedgehogs, coypu, rats, deer and zoo animals including elephants. Q What are the symptoms? Vesicles (blisters) in the mouth or on the feet and other symptoms which vary somewhat but may be: CATTLE - Fever, dullness, off feed, shivering, reduced milk yield and sore teats in milking stock, slavering, tenderness of feet or lameness. SHEEP AND GOATS - Fever, lameness, stiff legged walk, off colour, tendency to lie down. PIGS - Fever, lameness, dullness, off feed. Q What kinds of virus are there? There are 7 main types: O, A, C, SAT.1, SAT.2, SAT.3, and Asia 1. Within each type there are many sub-types, e.g. O1 and A22. The average incubation period is 3-8 days but it can be shorter or may extend to 14 days or longer. It has been confirmed that the virus responsible for the present outbreak is the highly virulent pan-Asiatic O type. When animals recover from infection by one type of virus they have little or no protection against attacks by any one of the others. Q How is the virus destroyed? It can be destroyed by heat, low humidity, or certain disinfectants, but it may remain active for a varying time in a suitable medium such as the frozen or chilled carcase of an infected animal and on contaminated objects. Q What are the effects of FMD? The disease is rarely fatal, except in the case of very young animals, which may die without showing any symptoms. All affected animals lose condition and secondary bacterial infections may prolong convalescence. The most serious effects of the disease however are seen in dairy cattle. Loss of milk yield, abortion, sterility, chronic mastitis, and chronic lameness are commonplace. Q Can FMD be cured? There is no cure. It usually runs its course in 2 or 3 weeks after which the great majority of animals recover naturally. The justification of the slaughter policy is that widespread disease throughout the country would be economically disastrous due to the effects already noted above.

I would imagine that the present policy of slaughtering is equally economically disastrous. Jim Sharpe Manchester U K ----- Original Message ----- From: Marion <mm@mmaychell.freeserve.co.uk> To: <NORTHERN-ENGLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: 02/mm/01 2:54 PM Subject: [NTH-ENG] Re:F&M This is the leaflet our local vets are giving out > http://www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/qa1.htm#6 > The nature of the disease > What is it? > How is it spread? > Which other countries have recently had FMD? > Can people contract the disease? > Which animals are susceptible? > What are the symptoms? > What kinds of virus are there? > How is the virus destroyed? > What are the effects of FMD? > Can FMD be cured? > Q What is it? > It is a highly infectious viral disease in which fever is followed by > the development of vesicles or blisters - chiefly in the mouth or on > the feet. There are 7 main types of virus, which produce similar > symptoms and which can only be differentiated in the laboratory. > > Q How is it spread? > Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious disease that can > spread by direct or indirect contact with infected animals. Infected > animals begin by excreting the virus a few days before signs of the > disease develop. Pigs in particular produce large numbers of virus > particles. > > Airborne spread of the disease takes place readily. The prevailing > meteorological conditions and local topography determine the distance > that the disease can travel and this may be considerable. For example, > circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that the outbreak on the > Isle of Wight in 1981 resulted from the airborne spread of the of the > virus from Brittany in northern France. > > The disease is also spread mechanically by the movement of animals, > persons, vehicles and other things, which have been contaminated by > the virus. > > Meat from the carcase of animals infected with FMD at the time of > slaughter can transmit the virus. In the past outbreaks of the disease > have been linked with the importation of infected meat and meat > products. > > Q Which other countries have recently had FMD? > FMD is endemic in parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South > America, with sporadic outbreaks in disease-free areas. Countries > affected by FMD in the past twelve months include Butan, Brazil, > Columbia, Egypt, Georgia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Malawi, > Malaysia, Mongolia, Namibia, Russia, South Africa, Taipei, Tajikstan, > Uruguay and Zambia. The last major outbreak of the disease in the EU > was in Greece last year. > > Q Can people contract the disease? > Advice from the Department of Health is that it is very rare. There > has only been one recorded case of FMD in a human being in Great > Britain in 1966. The general effects of the disease in that case were > similar to influenza with some blisters. It is a mild short lived, > self-limiting disease. The Food Standards Agency has advised that the > disease has no implications for the human food chain. > > There is however a human condition called Hand, Foot and Mouth > disease, which is unrelated. It will not affect animals. If you are > concerned you should contact your GP. > > Q Which animals are susceptible? > Cattle, sheep, pigs and goats are susceptible and some wild animal > such as hedgehogs, coypu, rats, deer and zoo animals including > elephants. > > Q What are the symptoms? > Vesicles (blisters) in the mouth or on the feet and other symptoms > which vary somewhat but may be: > > CATTLE - Fever, dullness, off feed, shivering, reduced milk yield and > sore teats in milking stock, slavering, tenderness of feet or > lameness. > > SHEEP AND GOATS - Fever, lameness, stiff legged walk, off colour, > tendency to lie down. > > PIGS - Fever, lameness, dullness, off feed. > > Q What kinds of virus are there? > There are 7 main types: O, A, C, SAT.1, SAT.2, SAT.3, and Asia 1. > Within each type there are many sub-types, e.g. O1 and A22. The > average incubation period is 3-8 days but it can be shorter or may > extend to 14 days or longer. It has been confirmed that the virus > responsible for the present outbreak is the highly virulent > pan-Asiatic O type. When animals recover from infection by one type of > virus they have little or no protection against attacks by any one of > the others. > > Q How is the virus destroyed? > It can be destroyed by heat, low humidity, or certain disinfectants, > but it may remain active for a varying time in a suitable medium such > as the frozen or chilled carcase of an infected animal and on > contaminated objects. > > Q What are the effects of FMD? > The disease is rarely fatal, except in the case of very young animals, > which may die without showing any symptoms. > > All affected animals lose condition and secondary bacterial infections > may prolong convalescence. The most serious effects of the disease > however are seen in dairy cattle. Loss of milk yield, abortion, > sterility, chronic mastitis, and chronic lameness are commonplace. > > Q Can FMD be cured? > There is no cure. It usually runs its course in 2 or 3 weeks after > which the great majority of animals recover naturally. The > justification of the slaughter policy is that widespread disease > throughout the country would be economically disastrous due to the > effects already noted above. > > > > > ==== NORTHERN-ENGLAND Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the list in mail mode send a message to > NORTHERN-ENGLAND-L-request@rootsweb.com > that contains the word unsubscribe and nothing else. > If you are in digest mode, then send the command instead to > NORTHERN-ENGLAND-D-request@rootsweb.com > > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.231 / Virus Database: 112 - Release Date: 12/02/01