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Diseases of Animals: Foot and mouth disease
Foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals including buffalo, pigs, cattle, sheep and goats. It spreads so quickly that whole herds can be infected within 48 hours. Australia is free from foot and mouth disease, and strict quarantine controls are in place to keep it out.
Keep a Top Watch
The virus is carried by live animals and in meat and meat products, as well as in soil, bones, untreated hides, vehicles and equipment used with animals. It can survive in frozen, chilled and freeze-dried foods. Never carry such items into Australia, and report anyone who does. Keep a watch for foreign travellers, planes or boats in your region that may be carrying animals or animal products. Keep watch for food and garbage washed up on the beach. If you see any of these threats, contact Quarantine immediately.
Profile: Cattle are most susceptible, though pigs spread the disease fastest. If an outbreak did occur, its spread could be so rapid that controls would not prevent the loss of our export livestock, meat and dairy produce markets. Where vaccination is not permitted, all affected and in-contact animals are usually slaughtered to eradicate the disease.
Identification: Early signs include fever, drooling and a reluctance to move. Blisters appear on the mouth or snout, on the tongue, lips, between the hooves and on the feet. The blisters rupture to expose raw, painful tissue.
Photos below: Foot and mouth disease affects cloven-hoofed animals. The disease causes blisters on the mouth and snout and can affect whole herds within 48 hours.
Distribution: Outbreaks are common in parts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and South America. The outbreak in the UK and parts of Europe in 2001 has been disastrous, with millions of animals destroyed and billions of dollars of revenue lost.
Threat: The disease could cause severe damage to our meat, dairy and livestock industries. It’s estimated the overall cost of lost markets and rural production would be an immediate $6 billion, plus $8 million for each day an outbreak lasted. As well as having a devastating impact on individual farmers and the rural community, Australia’s overall standard of living would drop and thousands of jobs would be lost.
Quarantine: Live animals, dairy foods, animal hides, meat and meat products are only allowed into Australia under strict quarantine controls. Travellers carrying any meat, dairy or other animal products in their luggage must declare them on arrival or face hefty fines or imprisonment.
For more information visit DAFF's Foot and mouth disease information website.