Prevention and Control
PREVENTION FMD is not currently found in Canada but still precautions should be taken to avoid the risk of contracting FMD. To prevent FMD farmers should ensure that biosecurity measures are in place and implemented continuously. All of the animal feed and bedding supplies should only
be sourced from reputable suppliers to ensure the materials are not
contaminated. If new animals are purchased, they should be held in an isolated
area to ensure that if they have some sort of illness this will not spread to
the other animals on the farm. Equipment involved with any type of animal
contact should be cleaned regularly and disinfected to prevent the spread of
any infection. This is necessary due to the global economy in livestock related equipment and feedstuff components. Visitors and off-farm individuals who will be coming into close contact with any animals should wear clean clothing , including clean footwear as well as clean work related utensils to ensure they are not bringing in any type of contamination into the area. If a person visits a country where FMD has been detected or is endemic, they must not come in contact with the resident animals or animal contact related farm equipment (feeders, milking machines, watering pails, etc) for 14 days. If contact is absolutely necessary they may enter the farm after five days but only if they go through an extensive disinfection / biosecurity procedure. Livestock producers should monitor their animals’ health on a regular basis and if they see any signs of sickness are evident, they should contact a veterinarian immediately. Since Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a reportable disease in Canada, any suspected cases must be reported by law to the nearest CFIA District Veterinarian so an immediate investigation can ensue. Other preventative measures include such procedures as not allowing the importation of any susceptible animals or animal products from countries with FMD, unless the animals have been extensively tested, and the animal products have been through a process that can kill the virus. If a person has travelled outside of Canada, then upon their return, they must declare any animal or animal products they are bringing back into the country. A person must also disclose if they have been on a farm while out of the country or if they will be visiting a farm while in Canada. |  http://www.leydenglenlamb.com/Photo%20Page%20Images/Adult_Sheep_Before_Shearing.jpg CONTROL There are few ways to control the disease once animals have the infection. Some of the ways to try to control the spread are the following: 1.‘Stamping out’– this involves slaughtering and disposing of any infected animals and all related products and by-products and any susceptible animals that may have been in contact with the infected animals that can develop the disease themselves 2. Movement control / quarantine: animals that may be infected or have been exposed to infection should not be transported anywhere, and should be placed in a quarantined area to insure that the spread is minimized. 3. Focal vaccination: vaccination of animals that are highly susceptible and could potentially be infected can be vaccinated against FMD.
VACCINES The only vaccines recommended for uses are purified 146S, aziridine inactivated, oil or aluminium hydroxide adjuvanated vaccines.
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