1

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

Other names:

• Apthous fever
• Contagious aptha
• mUMh Kur rog
• Vesicular aptha
• Panzootic aptha

Foot and Mouth disease is an acute or sub-acute, highly contagious viral disease of
cloven-footed animals with high morbidity and very low mortality.

It is characterized by vesicular eruptions in the epithelium of buccal cavity, tongue,

palate, inside lips, muzzle, nostrils, feet, teats, udder and very rarely in rumen pillars.

AetioIogy

Virus Classification
Group Group IV (ss RNA)
Order Picornavirales
Family Picornaviridae
Genus Apthovirus
Species Foot-and-mouth disease virus
➢ The virus is considered as smallest known virus of animal origin
➢ There are 7 major serotypes

A, O, C, Asia 1, SAT-1, SAT-2, SAT-3 (Southern African Territories)

➢ A strain demonstrated from Pakistan (South East Asia) in 1954 was defined
as Asia-1.
➢ Serotype O is the most common serotype causing disease worldwide.
➢ The virus may remain viable for
o 1 year in infected premises,
o 10-12 weeks in clothing and feeds,
o 4-5 months in hay and brans,
o 3-4 months in lymph node.
o One month in frozen bull semen.
➢ Virus can be inactivated from milk by boiling for 15 minutes at 70oC.
➢ The virus is preserved in glycerine phosphate buffer saline (PBS)

Epidemiology

▪ The disease is prevalent in all countries of the tropical regions.

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 2

▪ The disease is enzootic in South America, Central Europe and certain African
countries.
▪ The disease is not present in United Kingdom, parts of Europe, Australia,
Japan and New Zealand. United States is free from the disease since 1989.
▪ In Asia, the disease is widely prevalent and has a high level of incidence in
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma and Nepal.
▪ The disease causes considerable economic loss to dairy farmers due to
reduction of milk and meat and loss of working capacity of draught animals.

Susceptible Hosts

• The disease mainly affects cloven footed animals such as cattle, buffalo,
sheep and goat, pig and camel
• Wild ruminants like antelope, deer, and bison may also suffer.
Mode of Transmission

✓ The disease is spread at an extremely rapid rate through direct contact.

✓ Major route of infection is through ingestion of contaminated feed, fodder and
water
✓ Aerosol or droplet spread is also possible.
✓ The virus is shed in all secretions and excretions like urine, faeces, saliva and
milk.
✓ Virus is shed in milk before clinical signs develop.
✓ The infection spreads at a high rate during the cooler or winter season.
✓ All the fomites or contaminated materials like clothes, harness, mangers,
beddings, straws, hay, food stuff, feeding utensils, waterer etc. may act as a
source of infection.
✓ The movements of human and visitors in the dairy farm may also lead to
spread the disease from place to place and from farm to farm.
✓ Wild ruminants may act as carrier.

Pathogenesis

After gaining entry through any route the virus particles affect mucous membrane of
the mouth cavity

▪ They first attach to mucosal epithelial cells of the dorsal surface of the soft
palate or on the lateral wall of the pharynx but they do not produce any
lesions at this time.
▪ Then they penetrate into cytoplasm and replicate many times until cell
disintegrate.
▪ This releases viral particles to infect other cells, including macrophage
▪ This process continues for about 24 hours and thus a huge quantity of viral
particles is produced
▪ Then these viral particles produce primary lesions of vesicles.

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 3

▪ From the primary lesions, virus invades the lymphatics and enters blood
circulation to produce viraemia.
▪ Again, from the blood stream virus goes to the site of predilections i.e.
epithelium of mouth, nostrils, feet and udder where typical lesions are formed.
▪ The virus also causes degenerative changes of the myocardial muscle
fibres in young calves and piglets resulting in heavy mortality. Muscles of
heart will have striped appearance which is termed as "TIGER HEART".

Morbidity: may reach 100% Mortality: Not usually fatal except in young ones

Incubation period: It is 3-12 days

Clinical symptoms

➢ Temperature (104o-106oF) for 2-3 days, lameness and hypersalivation are

usually the first clinical sign of FMD infection
➢ Following peak temperature, characteristic vesicles appear in oral mucosa
of palate, inside the lips, on the tongue, gums

and Nostrils

➢ Vesicles also appear on teat leading to secondary mastitis, sloughing of skin and
occlusion of teat canal.

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 4

➢ There is profuse salivation with foamy or ropy saliva

➢ Vesicles may rupture due to jaw movements and fodder straws leaving ulcers.

➢ The animals refuse to eat due to pain.

➢ Subsequently eroded surface is covered with yellow or brown fibrinous
material.

➢ Finally, the epithelium is restored and the animal starts eating at this stage.
➢ Sometimes there may be protrusion of the tongue

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 5

Foot Lesions

➢ Simultaneous lesions of large vesicles appear in the interdigital space of hoof

which rupture and produce severe pain and lameness.

▪ In rare cases, there may be shedding or sloughing of the hooves due to

secondary bacterial infections
➢ The animal also exhibits generalized symptoms such as dullness, depression,
dejection, anorexia and reduction of milk yield.
➢ Pregnant animal may abort

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 6

➢ Young animals or suckling calf usually die without showing clinical

signs as a result of myocarditis and myocardial degeneration.
FMD in pigs
• Pigs may develop a fever of up to 107°F.
• Infected pigs show lameness and blanching around the coronary band
• They become lethargic, huddle among other pigs
• Vesicles develop on the coronary band, foot heel including accessory digits,

Ruptured blisters on the feet of a pig

• Vesicles also develop on snout, mandible, and tongue.

• Additional vesicles may form on the hocks and knees of pigs housed on
rough surfaces.
• Depending on the severity of vesicles, the horn of the foot may completely
slough off and cause chronic lameness in recovered pigs.
• Young piglets may die without clinical signs of illness because of viral
damage to the developing myocardium
FMD in Sheep and Goats
• Lameness is usually the first clinical sign of FMD infection in sheep and
goats.
• This is followed by fever and vesicular development in the oral cavity

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 7

• Lesions also develop on the interdigital cleft, heel bulbs and coronary band.
• Vesicles may also form on the teats of lactating animals and also rarely on
the vulva and prepuce.
• Secondary infections result in reduced milk yield, chronic lameness, and
predisposition to other viral infections, including sheep/goat pox
• As in piglets, infection in lambs and kids results in death without
clinical signs due to heart muscle involvement.

Post FMD Complexes

Following recovery FMD affected cattle show some abnormalities. These are also
known as post-FMD complexes. These are:

• Chronic panting
• Prolonged wear and tear or permanent damage of hoofs
• Over growth of hairs (hypertrichosis)

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 8

• Chronic mastitis
• Decreased milk yield for remaining lactation period

Post mortem Lesions

▪ Animal very rarely die with FMD.

▪ The characteristic lesions are vesicles and ulcers in the affected organs.
▪ Heart muscles show degenerative changes of grey or yellow foci or streaks in
myocardium which is defined as "TIGER HEART".

Diagnosis

❖ History of vaccination
❖ Clinical findings
o A febrile animal showing lameness and salivation may be suspected
for FMD
o Vesicles and ulcers in the affected organs.
o Such animal should be kept for close observation for more than 6
hours
❖ Laboratory Diagnosis
➢ Virus isolation and confirmation of FMD should be performed in a specialized
lab that meet OIE requirements for Containment Group 4 pathogens.
➢ The tissue of choice for sampling is vesicular epithelium or vesicular
fluid.
➢ At least 1 g of epithelium should be placed in a transport medium of
phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or equal parts glycerol and phosphate
buffer with pH 7.2–7.6
➢ Samples should be kept refrigerated and transported on ice.
❖ Serology: ELISA is most sensitive test
o CFT, AGPT, FAT may also be done
❖ Animal inoculation

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 9

Differential Diagnosis

Bovine Viral Diarrhoea

• Ulceration of oral mucosa only
• Profuse diarrhoea
• NO VESICLE FORMATION
• No lesions on udder
• No lameness

Rinderpest

• Shooting blood coloured diarrhoea.

• No lesions on udder and no lameness

Malignant catarrhal fever

• Enlargement of all the superficial lymph glands

• It is almost invariably fatal but FMD is not
• Nervous Signs
• Crust or hard coat formation on muzzle
• Corneal opacity with partial or complete blindness
• No lameness

Vesicular Stomatitis

• Crusting lesions on the muzzle, ventral abdomen, sheath, and udder.

• No lameness

Vesicular Exanthema of Swine

• Disease only of swine

• Formation of vesicles on the snout, oral mucosa, soles of the feet, coronary
band, and between the toes in pigs
• The clinical disease is indistinguishable from foot-and-mouth disease in pigs.

Blue Tongue
• Disease of sheep and rare in cattle
• Oedema of lips, nose, face, submandibular area, eyelids, and sometimes ears
• Tongue becomes cyanotic (Blue Tongue) and protrudes from the mouth.
Lumpy Skin Disease
• The LSD is clinically indistinguishable from FMD except there are no
lumps on skin in FMD.

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 10

Treatment
There is no specific treatment. Only symptomatic treatment is given.

• Antiseptic mouth wash

o Pot Permanganate: 0.1% solution may be applied 3-4 times a day.
o Boro-glycerine mouth paint (Boric acid + glycerine)
o Mandle’ mouth paint (Betadine+glycerine)
• Pot Permanganate: 0.5% solution to be applied 3-4 times a day on hoof
and udder lesions.
• Antibiotics – Enrofloxacin, DCR, Penicillin
• Antipyretics – Miloxicam with paracetamol, Piroxicam, Megludine,
Tolfenamic acid
• Analgesic – NSAID’s
o Give only green fodder and avoid wheat straw
o Give liquid or semisolid diet
Control measures during an outbreak
1. Isolate and the affected animals from the herd immediately after detection.
2. Large scale vaccination and strict quarantine
3. Controls on movement of livestock, equipment, vehicles etc. in the area
4. Immediate ban on movement of animals, cattle fairs and sale-purchase
markets in the area
5. Ban on grazing animals in common grazing pasture as they will contaminate
the pasture.
6. Ban on animals drinking water from common water sources like ponds,
streams, rivers etc.
7. Diseased animals should not be allowed to mix with other animals in the
village.

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 11

8. Disease can be spread by persons moving around the village. So, their
movements should be restricted. If it is not practicable, people should scrub
themselves and their belongings with soap and caustic soda before entering
in affected village/house.
9. New animals should not be purchased until 6 months following outbreak.
10. Healthy, disease-free animals in the periphery of the village should be
vaccinated first.
11. Animals kept in close contact with the affected animals should not be
vaccinated with FMD vaccine. There is possibility that in contact animals are
in the incubation period stage of the disease.
12. The disease can be noted even in some vaccinated animals within 21 days of
vaccination as they may be in incubation period at the time of vaccination.
13. In case of outbreak healthy animals should be attended first and then the
affected ones.
14. After attending the sick animals, persons should wash himself thoroughly and
wash his clothes with 4% sodium carbonate solution.
15. Utensils used for collecting milk should be cleaned with 4% sod carbonate
solution
16. Calves should not be allowed to suckle affected mothers and they should not
be fed milk from affected animals.
17. Mouth of the affected animals should be washed with 0.1% potassium
permanganate solution 3-4 times a day.
18. Antiseptic lotion like povidine iodine 2.5% and fly repellents are to be used on
the foot and udder wounds to avoid secondary infection and maggot formation
19. The premises are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and lime powder should
be sprinkled around the animal houses.
20. The carcasses are deep buried or burnt.
21. All straw or hay etc. that have been in contact with suspected animals is
destroyed.
22. Unvaccinated animals should not be allowed to enter cattle fairs
23. Vaccination of all the animals of an area/village is to be done at one time.
24. Always RING VACCINATION is carried out if there is outbreak
25. Only vaccinated animals should be brought into the village from outside
sources and that too after 15-21 days following vaccination
26. A foot bath or trough may be made at the entrance of village or affected house
27. Always purchase/procure fodder from a place where FMD has not been
recorded for a period of 6 months or so.
28. Monitoring and reporting of illness, surveillance and tracing of potentially
infected or exposed livestock is essential to effectively control an outbreak

Vaccination

Several types of vaccines are available for FMD.

❖ Raksha FMD (Indian Immunological)

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon

 12

It is a tissue culture Aluminium hydroxide gel vaccine and containing O, A and Asia 1
strain. Dose: Cattle, Buffaloes, Calves - 3 ml S/C, Sheep and Goat - 1 ml S/C

❖ Raksha Ovac (Indian Immunological): It is oil adjuvant containing O, A and

Asia 1 strain. Dose: Cattle, Buffaloes - 2 ml I/M, Sheep and Goat- 1 ml I/M
❖ Raksha Biovac: FMD + HS
❖ Raksha Triovac: FMD + HS + BQ
o Both are oil adjuvant vaccines
o Dose for both - 3 ml i/m in cattle & Buff
❖ FMD vaccine (BAIF)
o Vaccine containing O, A, C, Asia-l and monovalent subtype A-22
o Dose for bovine is 10 ml and for sheep and goat is 5 ml S/C
❖ FMD vaccine (MSD)
It contains type O, A, C and Asia-l
Dose for cattle, buffaloes is l0 ml s/c and for sheep, goat and calves is 5 ml.
❖ Storage and transport of FMD Vaccines
o All FMD vaccines are stored at 2o-8oC
o Do not FREEZE FMD Vaccines
o Cold chain is to be maintained during storage and transport of FMD
Vaccines

NOTE: Always read instructions of the manufacturer written on the vaccine

vial regarding dose, route or frequency before its use

Vaccination schedule

✓ Primary vaccination: 4 months of age

✓ Booster: 2-4 weeks later
✓ Revaccination: Every 6 months

Zoonotic aspect:

It is not a zoonotic disease.

VMD UNIT 6 Batch 2020 FMD 2024 Dr SS Dhillon