Vietnam: Foot-and-mouth disease affects 1,300 animals in five provinces
The serious viral animal disease, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has reared its ugly head in central Vietnam as officials with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are reporting that more than 1,000 animals are affected.
Photo credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
According to a Bernama report Wednesday, the disease has affected more than 1,300 domestic animals including cattle, buffalos and pigs in the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Quang Nam, with Ha Tinh being hit the hardest.
Recent flooding, slow response and a lack of public awareness have contributed to the outbreak, according to officials.
The agriculture ministry plans to send 200,000 doses of FMD vaccine to Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Da Nang, Nghe An and Thua Thien-Hue.
According to the USDA, foot-and-mouth disease is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer, and other cloven-hooved ruminants. FMD is not recognized as a zoonotic disease.
The disease is characterized by fever and blister like lesions followed by erosions on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats, and between the hooves. Most affected animals recover, but the disease leaves them debilitated. It causes severe losses in the production of meat and milk.
Since it spreads widely and rapidly and because it has grave economic as well as clinical consequences, FMD is one of the animal diseases that livestock owners dread most.
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