Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock with a significant economic impact.
The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants.
It causes direct loss due to decrease in milk and meat production, trade as FMD-affected livestock becomes unfit for human consumption
Indirect losses occur due to reduced work capacity, abortions, subsequent infertility and sterility (that account for the reduced milk production subsequently) in livestock.
FMD virus belongs to (risk group 4 as per World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)) Aphthovirus genus of the picornaviridae family.
FMD can spread when infected animals bring the virus into physical contact with susceptible animals.
Virus-contaminated facilities, vehicles, and raw or improperly cooked garbage containing infected meat or animal products can also spread the virus of FMD.
In rare cases, humans are also susceptible to FMD.
Government initiatives taken in India to cure FMD:
National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) is a flagship scheme launched in 2019 to control Foot & Mouth Disease by vaccinating 100% cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, and pig population for FMD along with deworming and ear-tagging.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Department (of Animal and Husbandry) has initiated ‘FMD Mukt Bharat’ under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), a program to cover all the states which were not covered under the six-monthly vaccination scheme.
