The foot and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by viruses. It affects animals with split hooves, such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and pigs. It is a highly contagious disease with seven immunologically distinct sera; they are: A, O, C, SAT1, SAT2, SAT3, and Asia 1, and in some countries, we find only types A, O, and C.
Historical Aspect
Despite being common in the groups mentioned, there are some cases of the disease in humans. Its occurrence was first recorded in Italy in 1514, and the causative virus was only known in 1897. Studies on this zoonosis were intensified only in the 19th century due to an outbreak in cattle herds in Europe.
What causes foot and mouth disease???
Foot-and-mouth disease is a disease caused by an RNA virus of the family Picornaviridae and the genus Apthovirus. It is known that there are, on average, about seven serotypes, but only three are found in the national territory.
How does foot and mouth disease spread?
The virus is released in several ways: through exhaled air, nasal secretions, blood, milk, semen, feces, urine, and liquid present in the lesions, which facilitates its transmission. Usually, transmission occurs through contact between a healthy animal and another contaminated animal, but it can also occur through contaminated materials and when feeding on sick animals’ remains. It is worth noting that people who care for the animal can be a source of contamination through clothes and hands.
How It Transmits?
The foot-and-mouth virus is highly contagious and can also be transmitted through animal drool, which contains many viruses. The blood of infected animals also contains a large amount of virus during the disease’s initial stage.
Tough-Isn’t It?
The virus of this disease is very resistant, being able to resist for months in the bone marrow of the animal (even after death), in the pasture, in the bone meal, and the leather. To carry out the diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease, the symptoms and epidemiological data are initially analyzed. For confirmation, laboratory tests with isolation and virus identification are indicated.
Symptoms
The animal’s first symptoms are high fever and loss of appetite, followed by thrush in the mouth, gums or tongue, and mainly by sores on the hooves or udders. The animal drools a lot, contaminating the entire environment, and has great difficulty feeding and getting around due to the wounds on its hooves.
Milk production, growth, and fattening are hampered. The intensity of the disease is variable, but it is known that it affects more young animals, especially breastfeeding.
How to treat foot and mouth disease in goats
This disease’s treatment is done with total disinfection of the place, boiling or pasteurization of milk intended for humans or other animals, treatment with medication in the animals’ wounds, and treatment with cardiac tonics in animals with great weakness.
How to prevent foot and mouth disease
In some places, the prevention of this disease is done by employing a mandatory vaccine applied every six months, from the third month of the animal’s life. Vaccination is mandatory for all animal breeders, so that the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding dosage, expiration date, preservation methods, among others, are obeyed.
Conclusion
The foot-and-mouth disease causes serious damage to ranchers since the disease directly affects the sale of their product. When an outbreak of the disease is found, it is common that many countries do not accept to receive meat from this place, closing their borders. This attitude causes a serious economic loss for the country in an outbreak but guarantees animals’ safety from other areas.
In addition to closing the border, the producer must deal with the decrease in meat and milk production. Abortion decreased reproductive capacity, and the death of animals is also common.
To overcome this malicious malady, we suggest you take good care of your animal’s hygiene in the best possible way.
