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Information on how to prevent foot and mouth disease on your farm. How to recognize foot and mouth disease. Who to contact if you think your herd may have foot and mouth. This information is available in full on the Defra website.
In depth information about foot and mouth disease can be found on the Defra website; www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth. Below are some useful guidelines from Defra.
How to check for FMD in your animals:
Inspect your stock carefully and regularly
As for all infectious diseases, early detection is essential.
Inspect all stock regularly for signs of the disease. Where
possible this should be done on a daily basis. Look
particularly for blisters or sores on the mouth and feet.
Do not hurry your inspections. Make sure animals are
properly restrained and there is plenty of light.
If you suspect disease in any animal you must report it
immediately. Telephone your local Animal Health
Divisional Office immediately. To find the number of your
local office, call the Defra helpline on: 08459 33 55 77,
or visit our website at www.defra.gov.uk.
What signs should I look for?
In Cattle:
Reduced milk yield.
Raised temperature.
Shivering.
Lameness.
Slobbering and smacking lips.
Sores and blisters on the feet, in the mouth
or on the tongue.
In Sheep:
Sudden, severe lameness.
Tendency to lie down more than usual.
Reluctance to move when made to stand.
Blisters on the hoof and mouth. The blisters
can be very small, and hard to spot.
A higher rate of lamb mortality or abortions.
Fatigue in young lambs.
Ewes unwilling to allow lambs to suckle.
In Pigs:
Sudden lameness may squeal loudly as it
may be painful.
Tendency to lie down and unwilling to move.
Blisters on the upper edge of the hoof
where the skin and horn meet, on the
snout or tongue.
Reluctance to feed.
How is the disease spread?
The virus is present in the fluid inside the blisters the
animals develop. It can also be found in their saliva,
urine, dung, milk and exhaled air.
The virus may be spread through any of the above
materials before any clinical signs can be seen.
At the height of the disease, the virus is present in the
blood and all parts of the animals body.
Animals may catch the virus through direct or indirect
contact with an infected animal.
Good biosecurity can help reduce the risk of disease
spreading to, or from, your farm. Fact Sheet 2 gives more
details on preventing the spread of disease.
What is direct contact?
animals which share a pen or field.
nose to nose touching across a fence.
What is indirect contact?
Indirect contact is where an uninfected animal comes into
contact with infected material from an infected animal.
It is one of the main ways infection spreads. However,
practising strict biosecurity can help reduce the risk of
disease spreading by this route. Indirect infection includes
the following:
Contaminated footwear, clothes or hands of people
who have close contact with infected animals, e.g.
when feeding or examining stock.
Equipment that becomes contaminated through use
on or near infected animals.
Any vehicle that enters and leaves premises.
Contamination from the carcass of an infected animal.
Contamination from any place where an infected
animal has been; from pastures and loading ramps,
to markets and roads.
Contamination from other animals such as dogs, cats,
poultry and foxes. These animals can carry infected
material on their feet or coats, but do not become
infected themselves.
Airborne infection; infected animals especially pigs
can breathe out a lot of virus. If this is breathed in by
uninfected animals, disease can occur.
Disinfection and approved disinfectants
A dirty surface must be cleaned before it can be satisfactorily disinfected. The dirt may make the disinfectant useless. It is therefore most important that anything which must be disinfected is first soaked with an approved disinfectant, then thoroughly washed and cleaned and finally washed down with an approved disinfectant.
You must use an APPROVED DISINFECTANT
A list of those approved for use against foot-and-mouth disease and the dilutions at which they must be used are available on the Defra website.
In depth information about foot and mouth disease can be found on the Defra website; www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth. Below are some useful guidelines from Defra.
How to check for FMD in your animals:
Inspect your stock carefully and regularly
As for all infectious diseases, early detection is essential.
Inspect all stock regularly for signs of the disease. Where
possible this should be done on a daily basis. Look
particularly for blisters or sores on the mouth and feet.
Do not hurry your inspections. Make sure animals are
properly restrained and there is plenty of light.
If you suspect disease in any animal you must report it
immediately. Telephone your local Animal Health
Divisional Office immediately. To find the number of your
local office, call the Defra helpline on: 08459 33 55 77,
or visit our website at www.defra.gov.uk.
What signs should I look for?
In Cattle:
Reduced milk yield.
Raised temperature.
Shivering.
Lameness.
Slobbering and smacking lips.
Sores and blisters on the feet, in the mouth
or on the tongue.
In Sheep:
Sudden, severe lameness.
Tendency to lie down more than usual.
Reluctance to move when made to stand.
Blisters on the hoof and mouth. The blisters
can be very small, and hard to spot.
A higher rate of lamb mortality or abortions.
Fatigue in young lambs.
Ewes unwilling to allow lambs to suckle.
In Pigs:
Sudden lameness may squeal loudly as it
may be painful.
Tendency to lie down and unwilling to move.
Blisters on the upper edge of the hoof
where the skin and horn meet, on the
snout or tongue.
Reluctance to feed.
How is the disease spread?
The virus is present in the fluid inside the blisters the
animals develop. It can also be found in their saliva,
urine, dung, milk and exhaled air.
The virus may be spread through any of the above
materials before any clinical signs can be seen.
At the height of the disease, the virus is present in the
blood and all parts of the animals body.
Animals may catch the virus through direct or indirect
contact with an infected animal.
Good biosecurity can help reduce the risk of disease
spreading to, or from, your farm. Fact Sheet 2 gives more
details on preventing the spread of disease.
What is direct contact?
animals which share a pen or field.
nose to nose touching across a fence.
What is indirect contact?
Indirect contact is where an uninfected animal comes into
contact with infected material from an infected animal.
It is one of the main ways infection spreads. However,
practising strict biosecurity can help reduce the risk of
disease spreading by this route. Indirect infection includes
the following:
Contaminated footwear, clothes or hands of people
who have close contact with infected animals, e.g.
when feeding or examining stock.
Equipment that becomes contaminated through use
on or near infected animals.
Any vehicle that enters and leaves premises.
Contamination from the carcass of an infected animal.
Contamination from any place where an infected
animal has been; from pastures and loading ramps,
to markets and roads.
Contamination from other animals such as dogs, cats,
poultry and foxes. These animals can carry infected
material on their feet or coats, but do not become
infected themselves.
Airborne infection; infected animals especially pigs
can breathe out a lot of virus. If this is breathed in by
uninfected animals, disease can occur.
Disinfection and approved disinfectants
A dirty surface must be cleaned before it can be satisfactorily disinfected. The dirt may make the disinfectant useless. It is therefore most important that anything which must be disinfected is first soaked with an approved disinfectant, then thoroughly washed and cleaned and finally washed down with an approved disinfectant.
You must use an APPROVED DISINFECTANT
A list of those approved for use against foot-and-mouth disease and the dilutions at which they must be used are available on the Defra website.
Price:
Contact:
+44(0)207238 6951
+44(0)207238 6951
