Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious, viral infection in cattle, swine and other cloven hoofed animals such as roe deer, goats and sheep. However, even elephants, rats and hedgehogs may be infected. Horses are cannot be infected with FDM; infections in humans are rare, but possible (e.g. via lesions).
The first written documentation of the disease dates from 1514, when Frascatorius described very similar symptoms in bovines in Italy. The cause of FMD was first shown to be of a viral nature by Friedrich Löffler in 1897, as part of the first attempts to differentiate bacterial pathogens.
The foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a non-enveloped RNA virus and a member of the genus "Aphtovirus" of the family "Picornaviridae" (from Latin "pico" = small) with a total of seven serotypes to date, although each of the serotypes includes numerous subtypes. The FMD virus occurs throughout much of the world. Historically, there are seven serotypes referred to as A for “Allemagne”; O for Department “Oise”; C; Asia 1 for the first serotype discovered in Asia and SAT 1-3 for “South African Territories”.
The FMD virus is a positive, single-strand RNA virus (ss(+)RNA), containing about 8,500 nucleic acids that are surrounded by four structural proteins. The virus shows typically high affinity to epithelial tissue:
Epitheliotropism: skin and cutaneous mucose membranes
Myotropism: skeletal and heart muscles
Neurotropism (very rare): nerve tissue
The disease occurs frequently in Africa, Asia and large parts of South America. Europe has often been affected by FMD epizootics or even panzootics. Particularly severe epidemics occurred from 1910-1912, 1919 to 1921 1937 to 1939 and 1950 to 1952. FMD was also detected in Europe in the 21st century, namely in twice in Great Britain: an epizootic from 19th February, 2001 to 14th January, 2002 and FMD outbreaks in Surrey from 3rd August, 2007 to October 2007 (officially FMD-free from 22nd February, 2008). The last FMD outbreak in Austria occurred in 1981.
AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety
