Cattle Foot and Mouth Disease: Welfare During Outbreaks and Control Measures

Foot and mouth disease causes severe lameness, blistering, and systemic illness in affected cattle, with welfare impacts both from the disease itself and the slaughter policies used for eradication.

Key Facts

FMD affects cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, sheep, pigs, and deer
The UK experienced a major outbreak in 2001 resulting in slaughter of over 6 million animals
Clinical signs include blistering of the mouth and feet, severe lameness, reduced milk yield, and fever
Mortality is low in adult cattle but high in young calves
FMD is notifiable and subject to compulsory slaughter of affected and contact animals in the UK

Welfare Considerations

FMD causes acute and severe welfare harm from mouth lesions that prevent eating, and foot lesions causing extreme lameness. Affected cattle show obvious signs of pain from blistering, salivation, and reluctance to stand or walk. The systemic fever causes profound weakness and depression. Calves under one year have high mortality from the disease itself. The welfare impact of compulsory slaughter of infected herds and dangerous contact animals, while necessary for disease control, involves the killing of many animals that might recover from the disease or that have not yet shown clinical signs. The balance between individual animal welfare and population-level disease control creates difficult ethical tensions.

What You Can Do

Maintain strict biosecurity to prevent FMD introduction including footbaths and vehicle disinfection
Report any suspected FMD signs immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency
Engage with emergency preparedness planning in your farming area for FMD outbreak response
Support research into improved FMD vaccines that could reduce reliance on stamping-out policies
Ensure farm biosecurity plans are reviewed annually and align with DEFRA guidance