The American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) will be mailing out over the next week a new foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) educational pocket guide.
The laminated flipchart contains photos illustrating lesions associated with FMD in domestic and feral swine.
This pocket guide was developed through a cooperative agreement funded by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and was jointly developed by AASV, Iowa State University’s Center for Food Security and Public Health, National Pork Board and APHIS.
FMD was eradicated in the United States in 1929. However, the virus remains active in many parts of the world, and therefore is a constant threat to the health and security of U.S. livestock. Veterinarians and livestock producers will likely be the first to observe an outbreak of FMD in the U.S. swine herd.
The publication of this pocket guide enhances vesicular disease surveillance in swine by providing practitioners and veterinary students with a handy resource illustrating the progression of FMD lesions. The photos used in the guide were taken at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in Plum Island, NY, following experimental inoculation of the pigs with FMD virus.
Few diseases cause vesicles in pigs. Blisters on the snout, oral cavity, feet or teats of swine should be reported immediately as a potential vesicular disease. Diseases such as FMD, swine vesicular disease, vesicular stomatitis or vesicular exanthema are indistinguishable clinically, according to the AASV.
The lesions may result in sloughing of the hoof wall and pronounced lameness. Other clinical signs associated with FMD in swine include fever, anorexia and lethargy. Morbidity may be as high as 100%. Except in younger animals, mortality is usually less than 1%.
The guide also includes a section of procedures to follow if you suspect a foreign animal disease.
If a foreign animal disease is suspected, contact your state or federal animal health official immediately.
More copies of the pocket guide are available from Harry Snelson, AASV director of communications, at Snelson@aasv.org or from the AASV office at aasv@aasv.org.