Throughout my life I have been fascinated with feet. This fascination is the result of having many foot problems as a child and as a young adult. When thinking of a topic that has to do with both Zoology and the human foot, one thing came to my mind, and that is Foot and Mouth Disease. Although not prominent here in America, this disease has caused much panic in Europe and in the far Western countries. This disease is something that should not be taken lightly and ignored, its effects can cause much damage to our economy and financial lives.The United States should not ignore this disease and people should have a general knowledge of it so that we can prevent an outbreak here.
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is one of the most contagious and most feared of infections. It is one of the most contagious animal diseases known with an infection rate near 100%. Once a strand is started and begins infecting animals, an epidemic of enormous proportions is likely to follow. It is mainly found in cattle and swine. However, it is also very dangerous to other hoofed animals including deer, goats, and sheep (USDA, 2001). Learning about the disease and how it moves is the only way to try and control it. The three basic areas foot and mouth disease are the disease characteristics, the disease movement, and finally methods of controlling it.
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