Symptoms of Foot & Mouth Disease
Highly contagious viral disease. Causes fever, blisters on mouth and feet. Devastating trade impact — bans exports instantly.
Early recognition is critical. Watch for fever, a drop in appetite, separation from the herd, reduced milk yield, and any animal that is unusually dull or reluctant to move. Because Foot & Mouth Disease is a critical, fast-moving disease, treat any sudden cluster of sick or dead animals as a possible outbreak and contact a veterinary officer immediately.
Treatment
Foot & Mouth Disease is a notifiable disease in most African countries. The first step on suspicion is to isolate affected animals and report to the authorities — do not move or sell suspect stock, as this spreads the disease and can carry legal penalties.
Supportive care — shade, clean water, soft feed, and treatment of secondary infections — improves survival in many cases. There are no cattle breeds with reliable natural immunity to Foot & Mouth Disease, so prevention rests on management, biosecurity and, where available, vaccination.
Prevention & control
- Biosecurity: Quarantine newly bought animals for 2–4 weeks before mixing them with your herd.
- Vector control: Maintain hygiene, isolate sick stock, and limit contact between herds at shared water points and markets.
- Herd immunity: Keep vaccinations current and maintain good nutrition — well-fed animals withstand disease far better.
- Breed choice: In hotspots, favour breeds with known tolerance.
Vaccination
A vaccine is available for Foot & Mouth Disease and is the cornerstone of control in endemic zones. Follow the schedule recommended by your local veterinary service — many of these vaccines require annual boosters to maintain protection. Plan them into your yearly calendar so they are not forgotten.
Economic impact
Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) is rated a critical threat to African herds. Beyond direct losses from death and treatment, critical diseases can shut a country out of export markets overnight, collapsing prices for every owner — not just those whose animals are infected. For an owner, every prevented case protects both the individual animal's value and the productivity of the whole herd. Knowing the price of your stock — see our market prices — makes the cost of prevention easy to justify.