Foot and Mouth Disease: Then and Now

Abstract Foot-and-mouth Disease (FMD) is a devastating viral disease that affects all domesticated cloven-hoofed animals and over seventy species of wild cloven-hoofed animals. The virus is highly infectious and extremely communicable. There has been an outbreak in virtually every corner of the world, and it is currently present in every continent besides North America and Australia. FMD has the potential to cause severe economic losses resulting from poor animal yields, bans on livestock exportation, and expenses involved in eradication and control. FMD can also have a distressing social and psychological toll on those affected. This article will discuss the development of the disease, historical outbreaks and threats, and evaluate the infrastructure currently in place to prohibit future outbreaks.