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A glance at foot and mouth disease
A glance at foot and mouth disease

In recent days, FMD is spreading quickly in many Asian countries, which has caused severe damage to the local animal industry. In this article, we review the outbreaks and summarize the information for FMD prevention and control.

Foot and Mouth Disease 

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious disease that imposes severe economic and trade impacts on both domestic and wild cloven-hoofed animals. In endemic regions, annual economic losses are estimated to range from $6.5 to $21 billion. The causative agent, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), is a small non-enveloped RNA virus belonging to the genus Aphthovirus within the family Picornaviridae. It comprises seven distinct serotypes: A, O, C, SAT1, SAT2, SAT3, and Asia-1. Current FMD control measures rely heavily on vaccination using inactivated virus vaccines. 

The Recent Resurgence of FMD in 2025–2026 

Foot-and-mouth disease has re-emerged as a major global concern between 2025 and 2026, driven by the cross-continental spread of SAT-1 and SAT-2 strains from Africa into Europe and Asia. Severe outbreaks have been recorded in South Africa, while the European Union — including Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia — has reported its first FMD cases since 2011, triggering urgent vaccine deployment and herd culling. 

Key Viral Strains & Recent Outbreaks 

SAT1 has caused the most severe disruption, spreading from Africa to the Middle East and West Asia, with potential risks to China. This strain poses a particular threat because it is not covered by conventional vaccines widely used in many regions, leaving livestock populations largely unprotected. 

SAT2 was identified in West Asia and North Africa during 2025–2026. Specific lineages such as SAT2/XIV have spread from Ethiopia into Iraq and Jordan. 

Serotype O, endemic in Asia and parts of Africa, has caused outbreaks across multiple countries in the Middle East and Europe. Notably, Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia reported Type O outbreaks in 2025 that were genetically distinct from the circulating SAT strains. 

The unusually rapid and cross-continental transmission of these strains has raised international alarm. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WOAH have both called for strengthened global surveillance and coordinated response efforts. 

Why FMD Devastates Livestock Industries

FMD is widely regarded as the most feared livestock disease worldwide, and its impacts extend far beyond direct animal mortality. Although adult animals rarely die from infection, the disease causes catastrophic economic damage due to its extreme contagiousness, strict international trade bans, and severe production losses. 

Once an outbreak is confirmed, importing countries immediately suspend trade in live animals, meat, and dairy products from the affected region. For major livestock-exporting nations, bans on meat, wool, and dairy can result in billions of dollars in lost revenue. Even after the outbreak is controlled, regaining official FMD-free status — and thus restoring trade access — can take months or years. 

Furthermore, FMD is highly transmissible, spreading rapidly through direct contact, contaminated feed or water, and even over short distances by wind. It is often compared to a livestock equivalent of COVID-19 due to its speed of spread and difficulty of containment. 

In practice, controlling FMD outbreaks frequently requires the culling of millions of animals, leading to massive direct financial losses and severe disruption to production systems. Compounding these challenges are the seven distinct serotypes of FMDV, which complicate vaccine selection, while vaccine supply shortages often emerge during large-scale epidemics. 

Essential Tools for FMD Prevention and Control 

Effective FMD prevention and control demand a comprehensive, multi-layered strategy combining strict biosecurity, targeted vaccination, and rapid emergency response. Core measures include high-quality vaccines, rigorous cleaning and disinfection, livestock movement restrictions, and sustained surveillance. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) provides detailed guidelines on its website to support national control programs. 

Under endemic or stable conditions, FMD can be managed through routine vaccination and strengthened biosecurity. However, sudden outbreaks require immediate and stringent interventions. These include prompt movement bans for livestock and products from infected, suspected, or contact premises; humane culling and safe disposal of infected and in-contact animals via burning or deep burial; and rapid submission of tissue, lesion, or serum samples to diagnostic laboratories for confirmation. 

Most critically, emergency, targeted, and intensive vaccination should be implemented in zones surrounding infected premises to limit viral spread. Complementary measures include regular on-farm inspections by veterinarians and producers for clinical signs such as lameness and excessive salivation, as well as routine monitoring for antibodies or viral antigens. 

Preventing and controlling foot-and-mouth disease remains exceptionally challenging. It requires long-term commitment and cross-sectoral collaboration at local, national, and international levels. As long as susceptible cloven-hoofed animals exist, FMD will remain an enduring threat to animal health and global food security. 

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