Outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease hits China

A Cow

China’s Ministry of Agriculture reported on Thursday, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in a herd of cows that was transported to the Xinjiang region from Inner Mongolia.

Authorities confirmed a diagnosis of the O-type strain of the disease of 17 cows
The local government in Xinjiang has culled the herd of 140 cows and outbreak is now under control, the ministry said.

Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease (Aphthae epizooticae) is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease which affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovid.

The virus causes a high fever between two and six days, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has very severe implications for animal farming.
It is highly infectious and can be spread by infected animals comparatively easily through contact with contaminated farming equipment, vehicles, clothing, feeds and by domestic and wild predators.

Its containment demands considerable efforts in vaccination, strict monitoring, trade restrictions, quarantines and occasional culling of animals.
Susceptible animals include cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goat, pig, antelopes, deer, and bison.

It has also been known to infect hedgehogs and elephants while llamas and alpacas may develop mild symptoms, but are resistant to the disease and do not pass it on to others of the same species.

In laboratory experiments, mice, rats, and chickens have been successfully infected by artificial means, but they are not believed to contract the disease under natural conditions. Humans are very rarely infected.

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