Farmers Must Recognize the Causes and Signs of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

Farmers must understand the causes and transmission methods of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) to prevent economic losses. This highly contagious disease can infect cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, and pigs. FMD can survive in the bones, glands, and milk of infected animals. The disease is caused by a virus from the Picornaviridae family, genus Apthovirus, which can lead to a drastic decline in milk production, death in livestock, and significant economic losses for farmers.