Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a devastating disease of livestock. All
species of cloven-hoofed animals are susceptible and the disease is extremely
contagious. Financial losses as a result of FMD can be significant. There are direct
losses due to deaths in young animals, loss of milk, loss of meat and a decrease in
productive performance (James & Rushton, 2002). The costs associated with
eradication or control can be high and, in addition, there are indirect losses due to the
imposition of trade restrictions. For this reason countries which are free from FMD go
to great lengths to maintain their disease-free status and many countries which have
the disease invest large sums in eradication campaigns. A key element in the control
of FMD is knowledge of the epidemiology of the disease and how best to control it.
This chapter gives an overview of the agent responsible, the disease itself and
methods of control.