Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Information
U.K. FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE ALERT:
OCTOBER 1, 2007
A new case of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) has been confirmed in Surrey, England near Wraysbury. This is the eighth infected premises (IP8) detected since 3 Aug 2007, when FMD was confirmed on a small, family-owned beef finishing operation.
A 3-km control zone and a 10-mile surveillance zone are in place around affected farms. Intense surveillance and blood testing will continue in these areas; this is how the latest infected premises was detected. Four additional premises are considered dangerous contacts, and all susceptible livestock will be humanely culled in order to stop the spread of this highly contagious virus.
The EU plans to continue export bans on livestock products from the area around the outbreak. The USDA is maintaining restrictions on imports of FMD-susceptible livestock from Great Britain.
All herds to date have been confirmed to have the 01 BFS 67 strain of Foot and Mouth Disease, which is a strain recovered from the 1967 outbreak in Great Britain. This strain is used by two research laboratories on the Pirbright site in Surrey.
The epidemiological report on the probable release of FMD at the Pirbright site and transmission of infection to the first infected herd, 29 August 2007 (PDF 987 KB) concludes that release was most likely due to escape of live virus from the drainage system that connects the vaccine production plant to the sodium hydroxide treatment tanks on another part of the Pirbright site, four miles from where the disease was originally found. Movement of the virus off site was most likely from movement of fomites (substance capable of carrying infectious organisms) created from soil, water or other material contaminated by effluent, and deposited on the road from which the track to the first infected premises leads.
For the most current information on the situation Surrey, visit DEFRA’s website at: www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth.
_____________________________________________
CURRENT SITUATION INFORMATION:
World Animal Health Association:
http://www.oie.int/eng/en_index.htm
http://www.oie.int/eng/info/en_urgences.htmUnited Kingdom : Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/United States Department of Agriculture:
USDA Newsroom – Foot & Mouth Disease Updates
FMD in UK Press Release August 3, 2007 (PDF 20 KB)
_____________________________________________
Traveler Information
- Information for People Traveling from Affected Countries(English)(2007)(PDF 56 KB)
- Information for People Traveling from Affected Countries(Spanish)(2007) (PDF 56 KB)
- Information for People Traveling from Affected Countries (Portuguese)(2007)(PDF 56 KB)
_____________________________________________
Disease Information
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a debilitating disease affecting all cloven–hoofed animals, including cattle, pigs, and sheep. Clinical signs commonly seen in cattle are drooling, lip smacking, and lameness, caused by blisters (vesicles) on the tongue, dental pad and feet. Sheep and pigs have similar, but often less pronounced, clinical signs.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) work cooperatively to safeguard our food supply and the California agricultural industry. State and federal programs closely monitor and regulate the movement of livestock and animal products. Despite these efforts, the risk of disease introduction is always present. Viruses, bacteria and pests do not respect borders and are capable of entering on imported animals, meat and meat products, travelers’ clothing and shoes, equipment, and other contaminated objects.
- Foot and Mouth Disease Brochure 2007 (English)(PDF 281 KB)
- Foot and Mouth Disease Fact Sheet (Spanish)(PDF 125 KB)
- USDA Foot and Mouth Disease Fact Sheet information
- USDA Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccination Fact Sheet (PDF 37 KB)
- USDA Foot and Mouth Disease Signs in animals
- The Gray Book, Foreign Animal Diseases, Foot and Mouth (text and photos)
_____________________________________________
Biosecurity
_____________________________________________
California Information
_____________________________________________
Livestock Owners
- Monitor visitors to your facility. Keep clean protective clothing and footwear available. Require visitors to wear these items and thoroughly wash their hands prior to entering a livestock facility.
- Do not allow meat or animal products from FMD–infected countries to enter your facilities.
- Do not feed food leftovers to your livestock.
- Do not permit clothing, shoes or other articles (such as luggage, cameras, jewelry, and watches) that have been in FMD–affected countries to enter livestock facilities.
- Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling animals. This is especially important between groups of animals from different facilities.
- Always clean and disinfect equipment used at different facilities
_____________________________________________
Foreign Travelers and Visitors
- Always declare on the Customs form if you have been on a farm or in contact with livestock; and always declare the presence of any meat or dairy product
- If you have visited farms on an country affected with foot and mouth disease (FMD), avoid contact with livestock for at least five (5) days after arrival in the U.S.
- If traveling from to a country affected with FMD, carefully wash and disinfect all clothing and shoes upon return to the U.S.
_____________________________________________
Potential Signs of a Foreign Animal Disease
- Sudden, unexplained production and death loss in the herd or flock.
- Severe illness affecting a high percentage of the animals in a herd, flock, or region.
- Blistering around an animal’s mouth, nose, teats, or hooves.
- Unusual ticks or maggots.
Contact us for more information:
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Animal Health and Food Safety Services, Animal Health Branch
1220 N Street, Room A-107
Sacramento, California 95814
Telephone: (916) 654-1447
Fax: (916) 653-2215
or send an email to: ahbfeedback@cdfa.ca.gov