Foot-and-mouth disease

Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most important vesicular diseases.

News

14NovFoot and Mouth Disease confirmed in Western Cape, South Africa

28AugAMIE Backs South Africa Meat Export Plan

10JulSouth African Government Suspends DMA Restrictions

24JunZimbabwe Bans Livestock Imports Amid FMD Outbreak

20JunEswatini Battles Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak

19JunFoot-and-Mouth Disease Cases Surge Across South Africa

Description

There are four swine vesicular diseases that are not clinically differentiated: foot and mouth disease, vesicular disease, vesicular exanthema, and vesicular stomatitis.

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is considered to be the most contagious livestock disease and the most significant restriction factor regarding international trade of animals and animal products. Essentially, all cloven-hoofed species are susceptible.

Foot-and-mouth disease belongs to the Picornaviridae virus family of which there are more than 60 strains classified into seven serotypes.

All ages

High fever.
Lameness.
Loss of appetite
Depression.
In nursing piglets sudden death is common due to heart failure.
Vesicles up to 30 mm in diameter on the coronary bands, mouth, soft tissues of the legs and around the hoof. These vesicles can also be present on lactating sows’ teats.
Salivation and chewing movements.
During the first 24 hours, many of the vesicles burst, leaving erosive lesions.
If pigs are not slaughtered, some can completely lose their hoofs, and sows can abort due to the fever.
There can be an increase in nursing pig mortality, which is usually the first sign.

Serological and PCR tests are needed. Foot-and-mouth disease does not differentiate clinically from the rest of the vesicular diseases. Laboratory samples must include blood, vesicular tissue and fluid, when possible.

More info on lab diagnostics

There is no treatment. There are some effective vaccines for specific serotypes.

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HealthArticle

Clinical case: FMD in a pig farm

On the finisher sites, the farmer noticed that the growing pigs in all the farm sheds had become dull and lame.

Affectation map

World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) (2025) – WAHIS periodical extraction of early warning outbreak data. Retrieved on 12/2/2025. Data extracted by 333 Corporate 1998, SL. WOAH bears no responsibility for the integrity or accuracy of the data contained herein, not limited to: any deletion, manipulation, or reformatting of data that may have occurred beyond its control.