By Dr Tony Monda
The Covid-19 Pandemic that spread across the globe, claiming the lives of millions of people taught us that infectious diseases must not be taken for granted.
The recent reports of some children exhibiting symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease are alarming to say the least – has Zimbabwe not learn any lessons from the past?
To safeguard citizens from eating contaminated meat during a previous outbreak in March 2020, Government had to ban the slaughter of cattle from disease affected areas in Zimbabwe.
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) also known as Eczema epizootica or Epizootic malignant Aphta is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of cattle and swine and also affects sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. The disease spreads very quickly if not controlled. Under certain
conditions human beings are susceptible to the disease. This makes it a reportable disease.
Zimbabwe has experienced several outbreaks of foot and mouth disease since independence in 1980. While it is not recognised as a zoonotic disease, it is a highly contagious and communicable disease, affecting cloven footed animals, and many wild herbivores including antelope, buffalo donkeys and zebras causing lesions similar to blisters on the tongue, nose, mouth and toes of the infected animals.
It is transmitted through vector flies and is characterised by fever, formation of vesicles and blisters in the mouth, udder, and teats and on the skin between the toes and above the hoofs.
Symptoms include high fever and fluid-filled cysts appearing in the mouth and lameness.
The disease creates painful ulcers after the blisters burst and can cause high fevers, weakened legs, and even the loss of the ability to walk.
Foot and Mouth spreads by direct contact or indirectly through infected water, manure, hay and pastures.
It is also conveyed by cattle attendants, and is known to spread through recovered animals, field rats, porcupines and birds. Animals that recover from the disease exhibit a characteristically rough coat and deformation of the hoof.
The disease is caused by a virus of which there are seven ‘types’, each producing the same symptoms, and distinguishable only in the laboratory. Immunity to one type does not protect an animal against other types.
The interval between exposure to infection and the appearance of symptoms varies between 24 hours and ten days, or even longer.
The average time under natural conditions, is 3-6 days. The virus survives in lymph nodes and bone marrow at neutral pH, and can persist in contaminated fodder and the environment for up to one month, depending on the temperature and pH conditions.
Airborne spread of the disease can take place and may spread a considerable distance under favourable weather conditions.
Animals pick up the virus either by direct contact with an infected animal or by contact with food-stuffs or other things which have been contaminated by such an animal, or by eating or coming into contact with some part of an infected carcase.
The disease can also be spread by people, vehicles and other objects that have been contaminated by the virus.
In some countries outbreaks of FMD have been linked with the importation of infected meat and meat products.
This makes the export of beef from countries, where FMD is prevalent, such as Zimbabwe, very restrictive.
FMD is one of the most difficult animal infections to control and for which treatment is not given; infected animals are usually culled.
Outbreaks of FMD are usually controlled by quarantines and movement restrictions, euthanasia
(culling), of affected and in-contact animals and vigorous cleansing and disinfection of affected premises, equipment and vehicles.
Infected carcasses must be disposed of safely by incineration, rendering, burial or other techniques.
Rodents and other vectors should be killed to prevent them from mechanically disseminating the virus.
Zimbabweans are known for throwing caution to the wind, and have in the past eaten meat from carcases infected by various diseases including the omnipresent theileriosis, anthrax, FMD and others.
But what choices do people have when they are hungry? Let us pray the children recover soon.
Dr. Tony M. Monda BSc. DVM. DPVM, is a agro-veterinary epidemiologist and an independent agro-economic consultant researcher with degrees in Soil Science and Land and Water Management. Contact him on 0773 805 700 or email tonymichelmonda93@gmail.com or
tonym.MONDA@gmail.com
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