What to Expect in an FMD Outbreak

If you know what to expect in a foot-and-mouth (FMD) outbreak and understand your role as a livestock producer, you can help the U.S. livestock industry act more quickly and more effectively in controlling the disease.  Failure to identify FMD and respond quickly could have extreme consequences for the livestock industry as a whole.

If a case of FMD is suspected, the following would likely occur:

• A veterinarian would examine the potentially infected livestock. If signs are consistent with FMD, the veterinarian will call the state veterinarian’s office.
• The state veterinarian will place the herd under quarantine and contact the local U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) area veterinarian in charge.
• A veterinarian specially trained as a Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostician (FADD) will visit the farm. The veterinarian will examine the animals and collect tissue samples that will be tested to determine if the symptoms are FMD.

If a case of FMD is confirmed, the USDA and State Department of Agriculture officials will act immediately to identify the source of the disease. (See Government Response Strategies for more information.)

You can also expect to see extensive media coverage of the outbreak. Some coverage may show unpleasant images of infected livestock. You may also hear news reports that inaccurately portray FMD and the situation at hand.

You also are likely to receive questions from family and friends about FMD. Many people do not understand FMD and the fact that FMD is an animal disease that does not affect humans. FMD does not affect meat products sold in grocery stores. You can refer all people to the Consumer Information section of this website, where they will find updates about the situation and additional information about the disease.