Josepha DeLay

Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON

AHL Newsletter 2025;29(2):12.

Recent foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in Europe and the Near East have prompted swine organizations to increase awareness of this foreign animal disease (FAD) among veterinarians and producers.  European outbreaks currently involve Hungary and Slovakia; Germany has been declared FMD-free following an outbreak in January 2025. Outbreaks in Bahrain, Iraq, and Kuwait, where FMD is endemic, have involved an exotic strain of the virus.

A recorded webinar organized by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) provides useful information on the outbreaks, with the goal of preventing introduction of the virus to North America:

https://iastate.app.box.com/s/9x4s55vka2mcszj28kgq5r0t8yt62stb [1]

The Iowa State University Swine Disease Manual offers a concise summary of FMD transmission and lesions:

https://vetmed.iastate.edu/vdpam/about/focus-areas/swine/swine-disease-manual/index-diseases/foot-mouth-disease [2]

Excellent images of swine FMD lesions are published by the Iowa State University’s Center for Food Security and Public Health (CFSPH):

https://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/pdf/foot-and-mouth-disease-progression-of-lesions [3]

Of particular note is the development of focal ‘blanching’ of coronary band skin as a very early lesion of FMD, prior to formation of vesicles.