Acute infectious diseases can cause damage not only to large farms, but to small farmsteads. Therefore, it is important to recognize their symptoms in time and start treatment immediately, especially since many of them are dangerous for people.
In this review we will look at what foot and mouth disease is, what is its danger and how to deal with it.
Etiology of the disease
The causative agent of this disease is one of the smallest viruses in size - Dermaphilus, containing RNA. Despite its small size, it has great virulence (ability to infection). 
Dermatotropy is pronounced - most often the disease begins with infection of skin areas or damaged mucous membranes in animals. It is distributed through raw milk, meat and excretion products.
In addition to eating milk or uncooked meat for food, the contact route of infection is dangerous for a person - veterinarians know that by touching an infected area, there is a risk of "catching" such a disease. This also applies to mucus particles. Fortunately, man is not particularly susceptible to his action, which cannot be said about animals (especially artiodactyls).
Important! Foot and mouth disease can also spread to domestic animals: cats and dogs. But for birds such a disease - a great rarity.The difficulty is that the virus tolerates drying and freezing quite well and is well preserved in manure and products that are obtained from sick animals. So, on wool it can hold out for 25-27 days, and in milk at + 4 ° С - from 10 to 12 days. If such a strain got on clothes, then this period will be even longer - up to 3.5 months.
The FMDV virus rather quickly (4-5 minutes) dies during boiling, does not tolerate sunlight. Alkaline and formalin solutions also help in the fight against it.There are 8 strains of this virus. In our conditions, the main types are A and O, other pathogens rarely occur.
Did you know? The last major outbreak at the moment was recorded in the UK. In 2001, there were about a thousand foci of disease - caused the epizooty strain O, which caused damage to the economy of $ 20 billion
First symptoms
The incubation period of a virus is usually 2-4 days, but often it lingers. For example, in pigs it can last 7-8 days, and in cows up to 2-3 weeks. There is no apparent cause for concern during this period, although the disease progresses rapidly. 
Alarms are:
- general animal weakness and loss of appetite;
- short-term fever;
- prolonged diarrhea;
- animals begin to crawl on their forelimbs, limp (this is typical if foot and mouth disease affected cattle);
- lethargy gum;
- increased salivation;
- in some cases, the animal is unable to open its mouth.
Course of the disease
The disease is acute. In adult animals, it usually takes a benign form, whereas a malignant one (it is an atypical course) is extremely rare. 
In different animals, the effect of the infection takes into account the characteristics of the species and breed.
Let's start with cattle. After the expiration of the latent period (1-3 days, but sometimes from 7 to 20 days), the animal completely refuses to feed, the pulse quickens, the gum stops. For 2-3 days of active phase inside the lips, aphas (syphae) appear on the mucous membrane of the cheeks, tongue and jaw edges.
In difficult cases, such formations are visible on the udder and between the hoofs. The defeat of all limbs is rare, more often it is a limp on one pair of legs.
Important! After the sick animal is taken out of the room, the inventory and the building itself must be treated with decontamination solution. - 1% chloramine is strong enough.After 12-24 hours after the occurrence of aphthae burst, forming erosion. At the same time, the temperature returns to normal, although salivation remains abundant, and foam is visible in the corners of the mouth. The "sores" heal within a week, but with complications this process can take 13-20 days.
On the limbs you can see the same aphthae and swelling. They also burst and heal after 4-8 days. If the lesion is large in size, then there is a risk of purulent diseases, perhaps even corneal detachment.Aphthae in dairy cows inflame the nipple canals, sick quarters work with impairments. This is manifested in a change in the composition of milk: it becomes slimy and bitter. If the nipple canal is blocked by scabs, then mastitis begins. At the same time, productivity decreases to 60-75%, and it takes months to restore it.
Especially dangerous is the disease like foot and mouth disease for calves. They do not suffer from aphtha, but the disease is accompanied by severe disruption of the gastric pathways. If help is late, a case may begin.
The "pure" type of virus ceases its activity after 7-10 days. With background complications, the disease lasts much longer, up to a month. These are mainly problems associated with gastric and lactic highways. 
With an atypical form, it is even more difficult: the recovering animal abruptly “rents”, refuses to eat, its hind limbs are paralyzed. Such a drop can occur 6-10 days after the onset of the disease. It beats the heart, and mortality, reaching up to 20-40%, in such cases is associated with its stopping.
Did you know? Foot and mouth disease has long plagued animal breeders: the first clinical description for animals in 1546 was given by doctor D. Frakastro. A similar picture for people was described much later by the Germans Frosch and Leffler, who in 1897 proved the viral nature of the disease.In pigs, the epidemic of foot and mouth disease is even more acute, not sparing the young. After 1-2 days of incubation, fever appears, appetite drops. The limbs are affected, pigs often limp (they may even subside on their claws).
It will also be useful for you to familiarize yourself with African swine fever.Aphthae are visible on the mammary glands, patches, and are rarely observed in the oral cavity. Severe disease is accompanied by bloody diarrhea and mucus, hemorrhages in the kidneys and lungs.
Adults are ill for a long time: from a week to 20-25 days. For piglets, foot and mouth disease is deadly at all (loss is at least 60%), the first two days of virus activity are considered the most dangerous. 
With goats a little easier. After 2-7 days of the latent period, appetite disappears, the animal is in a fever, it starts limping. At the same time it is difficult for him to open his mouth, you can hear the gnashing of teeth.
Aphthae appear on hoofs, lower jaw, lips and udder.
From them sticky liquid flows. Goats are more resistant to foot and mouth disease, and complications are rare.
Full recovery occurs in two weeks. 
After 2-3 days of the latent period, the sheep limp, occasionally stop the gum and move a little. The temperature can reach 41-41.5 ° C.
In the case of them, the aphthae are small, burst quickly and heal early. The lesion area is the same: ungulates and a rim, gums, tongue and lips, upper jaw to the teeth.
Sheep recover after 10-12 days. Lambs often die because of complications such as septicemia (damage to the tissues and circulatory system).
Important! Patients before eating give 0.1 g of anesthesin, which slightly smoothes the discomfort that occurs when eating.But there is one caveat: in large flocks, the virus acts slowly and weakly, so its effect is not visible. Such a slow motion is very dangerous and can last for 3-4 months or until the transition to the acute form.
Treatment of sick animals
Due to the variety of manifestations of the virus, the industry does not produce universal drugs (with the exception of immunolactone, and that is not always suitable). Therefore, treatment is reduced to the elimination of symptoms.
For drugs that also fight against viral infectious diseases in animals include "Fosprenil", "Tromeksin".The sick animal is immediately isolated, sprinkled with a clean litter and given plenty of drink - enough clean water. In this case, the air in the room should be fresh, not clogged. Animals provide peace, try not to overtake without special needs (this gives an extra burden on a weak organism, especially on the heart).
Food - easily digestible: in summer it is grass, in winter they give soft hay or high-quality silage. 
If the foot-and-mouth disease in animals takes place in the usual form, therapeutic measures are reduced to such actions:
- Oral cavity rinse with weak solutions of potassium permanganate (0.1%) or furatsilina (0.5%). Acetic acid is also suitable at a concentration of 2%.
- For severe lesions of the oral mucosa, ointments based on copper sulfate, anesthesin or novocaine are taken. Fish oil is also useful.
Did you know? Vaccination in its current form - largely due to Louis Pasteur. His legacy and industriousness are impressive: having manufactured anti-Siberian drugs in 1881, after four years he was able to “neutralize” rabies with the help of a vaccine.
- Clean the limbs daily. The hooves and beaters are treated with a mixture of tar and fish oil in equal proportions. To consolidate the result, the animal is carried out through sawdust, which are saturated with tar. For large farms, formalin baths (5% solution) are made for the same purpose.
With severe forms diseases do the following manipulations:
- Strongly affected areas of the limbs are smeared with iodine. After clearing the claw, the dead tissue is removed and the wound is burned with powder (½ of permanganate and streptocide), and then it is bandaged.
- Aphthae on the udder are treated with Novocaine-Tripoflavin ointment on the basis of petroleum jelly. Propolis also interferes with it (15% of the volume). Syntomycin ointment also helps.
- If the complication is manifested in sepsis, a weak novocainic solution of 0.5% is administered intravenously. Take 0.5 ml of the mixture per 1 kg of weight.
- Use the flour mash, which is poured through a probe daily, 15-20 liters.
- To strengthen the heart muscle, a mixture is prepared: in 400 ml of distilled water, add 6 g of bromokalium, 10 ml of valerian tincture and 15 ml of lily of the valley. This is a single dose.
Prevention
Foot and mouth disease, like any viral disease, is easier to prevent than to cure.
The main place is given to vaccination. Most often injected saponin composition in the amount of 1 ml. It takes effect in 10-14 days, reaching a defensive peak a maximum in a month.
Immunity lasts from 6 months to a year. Cattle revaccinate once a year, while pigs have to be given two vaccinations each year.
Age is also taken into account: in calves, for example, "maternal" immunity is very strong and for the first 3 weeks can interrupt the action of the vaccine. In goats and lambs, it is much weaker, and the pigs are practically not protected. 
The remaining preventive measures are largely traditional:
- regular cleaning of the premises with the change of litter material;
- placement of livestock on the rules (no cramping);
- periodic inspection of the animal, pay special attention to the oral cavity, the condition of the skin, wool and hoofed plates;
- the use of high-quality food, water and additives;
- restriction of contact with already infected animals (for example, do not display on one pasture).
Is foot and mouth disease dangerous for humans?
As we remember, such a virus is reluctant to be thrown on people, although its danger should not be minimized. 
The risk group includes people who work directly with animals: veterinarians, milkmaids, shepherds, slaughterhouse workers and meat processing plants. But in the farmstead, one can become infected through contact or by eating meat and milk from a sick "beast."
Did you know? At the foot of the Pasteur monument you can see not only figures of people, but also animal sculptures - cows and sheep. So the French noted the contribution of his countryman in medicine and veterinary medicine.In humans, the disease may have a skin, mucous or combined form.
Incubation period Lasts 2-4 days (there are cases when it comes to two weeks). In the transition to the acute form, such the symptoms:
- temperature increase (up to 39 ° С);
- chills or fever;
- weakness and pronounced muscle pain;
- loss of appetite;
- after 2-3 days, vomiting begins, the eyes turn red, there is a burning sensation in the mouth, sometimes cramps are felt during urination.
At the same time, aphas appear in the mouth, in the palate and gums, tongue or lips. In some cases, they can be seen on the feet. They are small (up to 4 mm), but the number can reach up to several dozen. At first, these ovals are light, then the liquid darkens.After a day or two, they begin to burst, erosion begins. The patient is hard to swallow, chew and talk, salivation increases. The temperature returns to normal, but there is pain in the lymph nodes.
After 3-6 days, the tears are tightened, leaving no scars. Recovery takes up to 2 weeks. For this period, the victim is placed in the hospital.
Treatment comes down to enhanced skin care. It happens that food is introduced through a tube. Antibiotics do not apply - against such viruses they simply do not exist.
Important! A sick person will definitely need help, even at the initial stage: up to 3–4 liters of saliva can be removed per day, which must be removed. At this time, take liquid food.
The skin is wiped with different ointments, best of all help florenalevy, interferon and oxolane compounds. Oral hygiene involves frequent rinsing infusions of sage or chamomile. A weak novocaine solution (0.25%) or manganese (1%) is also suitable. You have to wash your eyes: 2% boric acid in the form of a solution to help. Sodium sulfacyl 30% - it drops, relieves pain and unpleasant itching. 
If necessary, use anesthetics, antihistamine drugs or drugs to strengthen the cardiovascular group.
Overall prophylaxis implies the control of animals, and medical - this is the heat treatment of meat, boiling milk (5 minutes) and the periodic change of working clothes. Remember that products from infected animals are dangerous, regardless of the stage of the disease.
We have learned how dangerous foot and mouth disease is and how to prevent it. We hope that this information will be useful for owners of small farmsteads. Let your pets be healthy and enjoy high productivity!
