Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a severe, highly communicable, viral disease of cattle and swine, which also affects sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hooved ruminants (horses are not affected). Signs of the disease include fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves; many affected animals recover but are left weakened and debilitated from FMD.
In Canada, FMD is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals Act. All suspected cases must be reported to Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). FMD has not been detected in Canada in several decades but is reported in countries outside North America.
Coordinating FMD Planning and Preparedness
The coordination of Canada's FMD planning, preparedness and readiness for response sits with Animal Health Canada. Building from the history, structures and processes behind the unprecedented collaboration seen in the African Swine Fever (ASF) planning and preparedness, stakeholders will take learnings from that model for consideration to an FMD model with similar pillars of focus for disease prevention and control.
On March 26, 2024, Animal Health Canada hosted the first Foot and Mouth Disease Kick-Off Meeting with representatives from federal, provincial and territorial governments: CFIA (Animal Health, International Affairs, Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and most provincial ministries of agriculture. National livestock associations representing pork, beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, cervids, bison, livestock feed and meat processors started the conversations about planning and preparedness for Foot and Mouth Disease.