Foot and mouth disease: how to spot and report it

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) affects cloven-hoofed animals including:

• cattle
• sheep
• pigs

It doesdoesn’t not affect humans.

The last outbreak in Great Britain was in 2007.

Latest Theresituation

Update are24 noJune current2022

Following official testing at the UK national reference laboratory, the UK Chief Veterinary Officer has negated suspicion of foot and mouth disease in pigs at a premises Near Feltwell, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, Norfolk. The 10 km Temporary Control Zone (foot and mouth disease) has been revoked.

Suspicion of vesicular disease in pigs remains and a new Temporary Control Zone (Swine vesicular disease) has been declared.

Details of the revocation can be found in the Foot and mouth disease cases orand disease control zones in England section.

Check if you are in a disease control zone on our interactive map.

SignsFoot and mouth disease cases and disease control zones in England

Current and suspected cases of foot and mouth disease in the UK and the disease control measures in place.

InTemporary cattleControl Zone

CattleThere withare no Temporary Control Zones (FMD) in force.

Zones no longer in force

Near Feltwell, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, Norfolk

Following suspicion of vesicular disease in pigs, and as a precaution to prevent the spread of disease, a 10 km Temporary Control Zone has been declared around a premises Near Feltwell, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, Norfolk. The premises remains under restriction pending the outcome of official tests.

Following official testing suspicion of foot and mouth disease mayhas developbeen soresnegated and blistersthe (vesicles):Temporary Control Zone (Foot and mouth disease) has been revoked.

on

Declaration theto feetrevoke –Temporary betweenControl theZone toes(foot and mouth disease) near Feltwell, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, Norfolk
PDF, 12.5 KB, 1 page
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This revokes:

Declaration of a Temporary Control Zone (foot and mouth disease) near Feltwell, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, Norfolk (PDF, 1000 KB, 3 pages)

Licences

In Temporary Control Zones, certain movements of animals, animal products, animal by-products or materials associated with their keeping, are not permitted. This is to control further disease spread.

The following general licences allow for certain movements of animals. You need to check that you meet and comply with the conditions of the general licence. If you do, you do not need to contact APHA. You can rely on the uppergeneral edgelicence as providing authority for the movement or activity.

General licences are not applicable for the movement of anything to or from premises which have been served a restriction notice by the hoofAnimal whereand Plant Health Agency (APHA).

• General Licence authorising the skinmovement of lactating animals, producing milk for human consumption, along a public highway and horntheir meetreturn to the premises of origin in a Temporary Control Zone (PDF, 120 KB, 3 pages)
• inGeneral Licence authorising the mouthmovement of susceptible animals between two premises in a Temporary Control Zone, divided by a public road. (PDF, 115 KB, 3 pages)
• onGeneral Licence authorising the tonguemovement of stray or injured susceptible animals from roads in a Temporary Control Zone (PDF, 109 KB, 4 pages)

OtherNo signsother ofgeneral licences have currently been issued.

Movements are not routinely licenced in Temporary Control Zones. If you cannot move your animals using the above general licences and this causes exceptional hardship, then you can seek advice from: outbreak.licensing@apha.gov.uk.

How to spot foot and mouth disease

In in cattle

Cattle include:with foot and mouth disease may develop sores and blisters:

• feveron the feet
• reluctancein tothe feedmouth
• on the tongue

Other clinical signs include:

• fever
• shivering
• lameness
• droolingslobbering and smacking lips
• producingcows produce less milk

In sheep

Sheep rarely develop mouth blisters as a result of foot and mouth disease.disease: Lamenesslameness is the main sign of the disease.

Signs of foot and mouth disease inamong sheep include:

• severe lameness, which may develop suddenly and spread quickly among the flock
• lyingtendency to lie down more than usual
• unwillingness to move when made to stand
• high numbers of abortions,stillbirths, stillbirthsabortions and lambs dying soon after birth
• youngtiredness lambsin quietyoung and lying down more oftenlambs
• ewes unwilling to allow lambs to suckle

Sheep rarely develop blisters onin the hoovesmouth or,as rarely,a inresult theof foot and mouth –disease. theseBlisters mayon the hoof are more common. In either location the blisters tend to be very small and hard to spot

spot.

In pigs

Signs of foot and mouth disease in pigs include:

• sudden lameness, which may spread quickly among the herd
• loudloudly squealing from pain
• tendency to lie down and unwillingness to move
• reluctance to feed

Sometimes,Pigs pigsdon’t mayusually develop blisters as a result of foot and mouth disease. But sometimes blisters do appear on the:

• upper edge of the hoof where the skin and horn meet
• snout
• tongue

SwineThe vesicularclinical diseasesigns andare Senecaindistinguishable Valleyfrom virusswine canvesicular be confused with foot and mouth disease. IfTherefore you see any of these signs, even if you suspect swine vesicular disease or Seneca Valley virus, you must report them.

Theyour Animalsuspicions and Planttreat Health Agency (APHA) will manage the condition as suspected foot and mouth disease until laboratory tests prove otherwise.

Other animals

Other cloven-hoofed animals,animals including goats and deer,deer can also be infected and introduce the disease to farm animals.

Signs of foot and mouth disease in these animals are similar to those in sheep, pigs and cattle.

Photos of clinical signs

ThereWe’ve arepublished some photos of clinical signs of foot and mouth disease on Flickr.

Report foot and mouth disease

If you suspect foot and mouth disease in your animals, you must report it immediately by calling:

• 03000 200 301 in England
• 0300 303 8268 in Wales
• your local Field Services Office in Scotland

APHA vets will investigate any reports. Find out what happens when a notifiable disease is suspected or confirmed.

How foot and mouth disease is spread

Foot and mouth disease is highly infectious.

Animals can catch the virus through direct contact with an infected animal.

The disease can also pass indirectly through:

• equipment
• vehicles
• people
• clothes
• mud
• bedding
• any other item that has been in contact with infected animals

The virus is present in the fluid of the blisters that animals develop. It can also be found in their saliva, urine, dung, milk and exhaled air before signs of the disease appear.

Preventing and controlling foot and mouth disease

You can help prevent the disease by:

• being familiar with goodthe hygieneclinical signs of foot and mouth disease so you can notify APHA immediately if you suspect it
• practising strict biosecurity on your premises.

FindIf outyou morereport aboutsuspicion preventingof animalfoot and mouth disease APHA vets will investigate.

Foot and howmouth thedisease governmentis willcontrolled controlin anline outbreakwith in:

• the contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases
• the and the foot and mouth disease control strategy for Great Britain
• .

  For more information, you can read our collection of guides on notifiable diseases in animals.

  Legislation relating to foot and mouth disease

  Foot and mouth is covered by the Foot and Mouth Disease (England) Order 2006

• and the Foot and Mouth Disease (Control of Vaccination) (England) Regulations 2006

.