Emergency Animal Diseases: What You Need to Know About FMD

niamh552
7 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Emergency Animal Diseases (EADs) pose a serious threat to the health and productivity of Australia’s feedlot industry. This blog series will outline a number of EADs and is designed to help you stay informed, prepared, and ready to respond.

What Is Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)?

Due to its highly contagious nature, FMD is a World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) listed disease and represents the greatest disease threat to Australia’s livestock industries and export markets.

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, buffalo, pigs, sheep, goats, deer, and camelids.

Importantly, FMD cannot be transmitted to humans and should not be confused with the hand, foot and mouth disease that occurs in children—these are two completely different viruses.

Australia is currently free from FMD and has strong biosecurity protocols in place to prevent its entry. However, the disease remains the greatest threat to Australian livestock and export markets, as recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

How Does Foot and Mouth Disease Spread?

FMD spreads quickly and easily through:

Infected animals introduced to a herd
Contaminated clothing, boots, tools or vehicles
Shared equipment like pens, hay feeders, water troughs, and transport trailers
Contaminated feed, water, milk, or biologics
Feeding raw or undercooked infected products
Airborne transmission, especially among cattle

FMD can be carried unknowingly into a feedlot, making biosecurity and hygiene measures absolutely critical.

What Are the Signs of Foot and Mouth Disease in Animals?

Look for these common clinical signs of FMD in livestock:

Blisters on the muzzle, tongue, lips, mouth, between toes, hooves, and teats
Lameness and unwillingness to move or eat due to painful ruptured blisters
Drooling, fever, weight loss, depression, and reduced milk production
Secondary infections may develop in open sores

While FMD is rarely fatal in adult animals, young stock can suffer high mortality rates if exposed.

FMD and Biosecurity: Why Prevention Is Key

Cattle are highly susceptible to aerosol transmission, so feedlots must implement strict bio-exclusion measures to prevent the disease from entering via wind, visitors, or contaminated gear.

A single outbreak could cause serious production losses and economic damage across the industry.