March 7, 2001. . . Foot-and-mouth disease is getting very close to becoming what animal health officials call a panzootic-- a disease found throughout the world. With the recent and rapidly spreading outbreak in the United Kingdom, only the continents of Australia, Antarctica, and North America remain free of what Oregon's state veterinarian calls perhaps the worst disaster that could happen to the livestock industry. And Dr. Andrew Clark is not one to exaggerate.

"For all practical purposes, an outbreak of foot-and mouth disease is as bad as it gets," says Clark.

Now it is up to everyone from cattlemen to veterinarians to international travelers to help keep foot-and-mouth away from the U.S. and Oregon.

In mid-February, the disease was first reported northeast of London by a veterinarian inspecting pigs at a slaughter plant. It is believed the virus was introduced through the feeding of contaminated waste food to swine. The disease quickly spread to two other counties, then exploded in a matter of days to more than 73 areas throughout Great Britain. A ban on animal movements has been ordered. The outbreak is serious enough that large events and gatherings have been canceled, including horse races and livestock shows. Even zoos have been closed in hopes of containing the infectious spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

Now other European countries have been affected.

"Apparently animals from the U.K. were exported to France and Germany prior to any knowledge that the disease existed," says Clark. "Those animals have been tested and found to have antibodies, which indicates they have been exposed. All of those animals, and any that have been in contact with them, are being slaughtered. In France alone, they estimate that number to be about 50,000 sheep."

While not seen in the U.S. since 1929, multiple outbreaks in Asia, Africa, and South America have been reported in the last couple of years. North America is just an ocean away from having to deal with a disease that would have disastrous economic consequences. Global trade and travel raise the odds of exposure.

So what makes foot-and-mouth disease so terribly bad?

Foot-and-mouth is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. The disease is characterized by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and around the hooves and between the toes. Most affected animals recover, but the disease leaves them debilitated, causing severe losses in meat and milk production. It is not a food safety problem, but a production problem.

Although humans are not susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease, they can serve as carriers. The virus can exist on a person's clothing or hair or even respiratory system for many days. That's why anyone who has recently traveled to the U.K. needs to be aware that they can unwittingly transmit the disease.

"It is very responsible for people to cooperate with airport authorities or seaport authorities in terms of declaring whether or not they have been in an agricultural setting where they might have been exposed to the disease and do the required decontamination procedures," says Clark. "They should not contact livestock for ten days to two weeks. They should not bring any animal products from the U.K. to the U.S. including any meat or dairy product."

Animal health authorities warn that smuggling anything into the country that could introduce the virus could have grave consequences for one of the nation's top agricultural industries. In Oregon alone, the cattle, dairy, and sheep industries have a combined production value in excess of $645 million.

"Our livestock population is highly susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease," says Clark. "The virus could spread rapidly and easily through routine livestock movements unless detected early and eradicated immediately. First week losses could be in the millions of dollars if the disease remains unchecked."

Livestock producers need to do their part as well in preventing the incursion of foot-and-mouth disease to their ranch. Clark calls it basic sound biosecurity.

"They should not allow anyone who has been traveling overseas, especially to the U.K., to enter the ranch at this time," he says. "They need to ensure they don't accept anything that may be contaminated, including anything of animal origin from the U.K. It's good management to take great precaution."

To help get prepared for an outbreak nobody wants to see, the Oregon Department of Agriculture is sending one of its own to Great Britain this week for a month long volunteer stint with British authorities dealing with foot-and-mouth disease. Brad Leamaster, ODA's Eastern Oregon field veterinarian, will use the experience as a training opportunity, seeing how animal health officials in the U.K. deal with the disease, how producers handle it, and whether Oregon should change some of its own procedures in the event the virus crosses the border.

Should any Oregon herd become infected, ODA is ready to deploy its Veterinary Emergency Team System (VETS), a rapid response mobile unit that can be utilized to contain the spread of animal diseases.

"Within a matter of hours, we can have all of the equipment we need on site to do the job," says Clark. "We are hoping we will not have to respond to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth."

At the moment, prevention is the best option available.

For more information, contact Dr. Andrew Clark at (503) 986-4680.