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United States should learn from how the UK managed 2007 outbreak of FMD, Adams says in new article

The United States may have much to learn from how the United Kingdom managed its latest outbreak of highly contagious foot and mouth disease (FMD), the FAZD Center’s science team leader for biological systems writes in the latest issue of Issues Update, a bi-monthly publication from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Garry Adams

"Early detection and rapid response were key factors to successfully containing the 2007 outbreak of FMD," Dr. Garry Adams says in the article. "British authorities quickly shut down all movement of animals, and improved diagnostic tools – including the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques – allowed for faster, more accurate diagnoses, minimizing the loss of uninfected animals suspected of having the disease."

Foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious disease that affects a wide range of livestock and wildlife. An outbreak in the United States could have a multi-billion dollar impact on the national economy, affecting everything from transportation to food supply.

Adams, who is the associate dean for homeland security at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine, has first-hand experience with FMD in the U.K. In 2001, he traveled with other U.S. scientists and veterinarians to the UK to assist with the massive outbreak, which resulted in the slaughter of 4 million animals and an estimated economic cost of $11.7 billion.

Despite the U.K.’s relative success in mitigating the effects of the 2007 outbreak, several unanswered questions remain, Adams says. Among them:

  • When is it appropriate for the government to declare FMD to be eradicated, and thus allow the free movement of livestock?

  • When it is appropriate to vaccinate animals against the disease, and which vaccines should be used?

  • How can government control the movement of infected wildlife?

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently chose the FAZD Center to study the U.K. outbreak and to return with a lessons learned report. Principal investigators will use the FAZD National Assessment Model to evaluate scenarios and options employed in the U.K., and apply them to similar scenarios as they might play out in the United States.

"The U.K. paid a high price to develop a rapid and effective process for identifying, containing, controlling and eradicating FMD," Adams says in the story. "The United States must learn from the British experience."

Download the article from NCBA's Issues Update.

Download the news release as a PDF.