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Foot-and-Mouth Disease: Issues for Wisconsin Wildlife

The 2001 outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in Europe and other parts of the world has caused great concern in North America. As of February 2001, Great Britain confirmed more than 1000 cases of FMD in cattle, sheep and pigs, resulting in the slaughter of over a million domestic animals. Northern Ireland, Scotland, France, the Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, and Columbia have also confirmed cases of FMD. In Great Britain, roe deer have been reported by veterinarians to have signs consistent with FMD.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease is a highly infectious viral disease that severely affects all domestic and wild cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, swine, sheep, goats, deer and other cervids. FMD virus does not readily infect humans. FMD causes blisters (which easily rupture leading to ulcers) in the mouth and on the feet and teats, lameness, lethargy, excessive salivation, loss of appetite, and abortion. Severely affected animals may die; however, chronic debilitating infections are much more common. The highly transmissible nature of FMD cannot be overemphasized. Infectious viral particles may be carried in the wind or on virtually any object. Virus may be found in saliva, feces, urine, milk, semen, meat and meat byproducts of infected animals. Accordingly, the USDA has restricted importation of live swine and ruminants and uncooked meat products from the UK. Because FMD is so highly contagious, early detection, combined with immediate eradication of affected animals is crucial for controlling the disease. Left unchecked, the economic impact of FMD can reach billions of dollars.

A FMD outbreak in the US could be devastating to wild animals as well as domestic livestock.. Should an outbreak occur in Wisconsin, it would probably originate in livestock, and routine livestock movements could rapidly spread the disease. Deer would likely become infected and could be a source for re-infection of livestock. The USDA has demonstrated that white-tailed deer are susceptible to the same virus strain currently affecting livestock in Europe. These studies showed that infected white-tailed deer could shed virus up to 4 weeks, and could pass the infection to other deer and cattle.

The virus may also be transmitted mechanically by animals such as rodents and birds. These animals are not affected by the virus, but the virus can survive for short periods on their bodies (up to 91 hours on the feathers of live birds) and can pass unaltered through their digestive systems. Birds and rodents may facilitate the spread of FMD for a short time and distance in the vicinity of an outbreak.

If a FMD outbreak occurred in Wisconsin, a FMD Emergency Response Plan would immediately be implemented under the leadership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has formed a DNR FMD Task Force, that is studying the implications of FMD for Wisconsin’s wildlife and for the state’s environment. This Task Force is working with DATCP and other state agencies on contingency plans addressing issues of importance to Wisconsin’s natural resources: risks to the white-tailed deer population, impacts of livestock carcass disposal on air and water quality, how quarantine area restrictions on people’s movements would affect recreation opportunities. In the event of FMD in Wisconsin, with input from the USDA and national wildlife disease experts, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would quickly implement a plan to assess whether FMD is present in wild deer in the outbreak area, and to develop a situation-specific plan for control and prevention of FMD spread.

Useful Links on Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Questions for Wildlife Health

Questions for Wildlife Management

Last Revised: Thursday November 16 2006