Context
The Union government recently announced the creation of foot-and-mouth disease-free zones in eight states: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
About Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD):
- Nature of Disease:
- Severe, highly contagious viral disease affecting livestock.
- Significant economic impact due to livestock production loss.
- Affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants.
- Does not affect horses, dogs, or cats.Intensively reared animals are more susceptible than traditional breeds.
- Classified as a Transboundary Animal Disease (TAD), affecting livestock production and disrupting trade.
- Not a human health or food safety threat.
- Unrelated to hand, foot, and mouth disease in humans.
- Causative Agent:
- Caused by an aphthovirus of the Picornaviridae family.
- Seven strains: A, O, C, SAT1, SAT2, SAT3, and Asia1, endemic in different regions.
- Immunity to one strain does not protect against others.
- Transmission:
- Present in all excretions and secretions from infected animals.
- Aerosolised virus can infect others via respiratory or oral routes.
- Rarely fatal in adults, but high mortality in young animals.
- Symptoms:
- Fever and blister-like sores on the tongue, lips, mouth, teats, and between hooves.
- Ruptured blisters cause lameness and reluctance to move/eat.
- Prevention and Control:
- FMD was the first disease with official status recognition by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
- Vaccines available, but must match the specific type and subtype of the virus.
Source:
TH
Previous Year Question
H1N1 virus is sometimes mentioned in the news with reference to which one of the following diseases?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2015 Prelims]
(a) AIDS
(b) Bird flu
(c) Dengue
(d) Swine flu
Answer: (d)
