Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, buffalo, pigs, goats, sheep and other cloven-hoofed animals. The occurrence of FMD is associated with serious consequences for the affected countries. Wild cloven-hoofed animals, such as deer, antelope, wild boar, giraffe, and camel can also become infected. Horses are not susceptible to FMD; human infection (in occupationally exposed individuals) may occasionally occur but does not usually result in disease.

The foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) is spread almost worldwide, with the exception of New Zealand, where no FMD outbreaks have been recorded to date. The disease is endemic in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and parts of South America. Sporadic outbreaks can occur in other regions: FMD in Europe has already occurred twice in the UK in the 21st century (2001 to 2002 and 2007).

On 10 January 2025, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (serotype O) was reported in Germany (federal state of Brandenburg). This is the first outbreak since 1988 and the infected water buffaloes on the affected small farm were killed and animals from neighbouring farms were culled as a precautionary measure. The origin of the virus is unclear. There are currently no indications of an introduction in Austria. Due to the serious consequences of a possible outbreak in Austria, owners of susceptible animal species are urgently requested to pay increased attention!

Cattle, buffalo, pigs, goats, sheep, wild ruminants

Transmission occurs through direct contact with infected animals, their products (e.g. milk, meat, semen) and excreta or contaminated inanimate objects. Airborne transmission is possible over considerable distances (up to 60 km over land).

2 to 14 days

General symptoms in all affected species are blistering (aphthae) of the mouth, udder, and hooves; fever (40-42°C), pain, apathy, loss of appetite, lameness, and decrease in milk yield. Morbidity can reach 100%. The death rate is usually low (up to 5%) in adult animals, but may be 20% or more in young calves, lambs, and piglets.

Vaccination is prohibited in the EU. Diseased animals must be killed.

Detection, isolation and eradication of infected FMD-positive animals; control of animal traffic to prevent the spread of the pathogen.

The last outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Austria was in 1981.

Foot and mouth disease is a notifiable animal disease. In the event of a suspected outbreak, the official veterinarian is required to immediately close the farm and initiate a suspected investigation. Cases of disease in individual animals that show symptoms reminiscent of FMD (usually skin changes), on the other hand, are quickly clarified in the course of exclusion examinations without the need to impose a restriction on operations. Nevertheless, the official veterinarian must also be commissioned in this case. In 2023, FMD was tested in two cases as part of exclusion tests, and a further two samples from zoo animals were tested for FMDV antibodies.

FMDV is a non-enveloped RNA virus belonging to the genus Aphtovirus of the family Picornaviridae with currently a total of 7 serotypes, with numerous subtypes within each serotype. Historically, the 7 serotypes are designated A for "Allemagne", O for department "Oise", C, Asia 1 for the first Asian detection, and SAT 1-3 for "South African Territories". Serotype C is now considered extinct. Some viral strains are specifically adapted to pigs; other species may play a role in the spread of infection, but their importance as reservoirs is uncertain. The pathogen typically shows high affinity for epithelial tissue:

• Epitheliotropism: skin and cutaneous mucosa.
• myotropism: skeletal and cardiac muscles
• Neurotropism (very rare): Nervous tissue

General symptoms in all affected species are aphthous formation (blisters, vesicles) on the udder (teat, resistance to milking), claws (interclaw cleft, coronal border, in pigs aphthous formation up to the tarsal joint, reluctance to move, clattering, slow standing up) and mouth (inside of lips, tongue, gums, animals salivate and show reduced desire to eat); fever (40-42 °C), pain, apathy.

Other symptoms in cattle: decrease in milk yield, high mortality rate in calves.

Other symptoms in pigs: changes in claws/extremities often very severe, shoeing possible, deaths in piglets without clinical signs common.

Other symptoms in sheep: mainly fever. Lameness and lesions in the mouth area are often mild. Peracute deaths in young animals.

FMD is clinically indistinguishable from other vesicular diseases (e.g. swine vesicular viral disease, vesicular stomatitis); appropriate laboratory diagnostics or exclusion of the disease by laboratory tests is therefore essential.

Suitable sample materials are

• Epithelium of unruptured or freshly ruptured vesicles (aphthae) in dry, sterile screw-top tubes or in a suitable transport medium (see below)
• Vesicle contents in dry, sterile screw-top tubes
• Swabs (e.g. swabs from older ruptured vesicles, or nasal/vengeance swabs for suspected FMD without clear changes)
• Whole blood (note: whole blood alone is not sufficient for diagnosis due to the short viraemia; tissue, vesicle contents or swabs must also be examined!)
• Milk (for dairy cattle - collective milk sample)

• Oesophageal/pharyngeal fluid (so-called probang samples) are primarily suitable for detecting chronic infections and should not be sent in acute cases of suspicion or exclusion

The sample materials should be sent to the analysing laboratory as quickly as possible after notification (ideally with refrigerants) in compliance with the relevant transport regulations (UN3373) and by a suitable logistics company.

The detection of FMDV from the above materials is possible using the following methods:

• Molecular biological identification with real-time RT-PCR (vesicle epithelium, vesicle fluid, swabs, milk, sample samples, serum)
• Antigen ELISA (vesicle epithelium, vesicle fluid)
• Virus isolation in cell culture (vesicle epithelium, vesicle fluid, swab, probang samples, serum)
• Serological test methods for antibody determination: ELISA, serum neutralisation test (serum)
• Serotyping or further pathogen characterisation:
  • Antigen ELISA
  • Serotype-specific RT-PCR
  • sequencing
  • Serotype-specific antibody ELISA
  • Serum neutralisation test