Foot-and-mouth disease is not present in the United States; if it enters, would transmission at the wildlife-domestic interface be an issue?

Foot-and-mouth disease is not present in the United States; if it enters, would transmission at the wildlife-domestic interface be an issue?

• A. Only in wildlife
• B. Yes
• C. No
• D. Only in cattle

Answer: (B)

Cross-species transmission at the wildlife-domestic interface is a real risk for foot-and-mouth disease because the virus is highly contagious across many cloven-hoofed species, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and various wild ungulates. When the virus enters, animals in the wild and on farms often share grazing areas, water sources, and even come into contact through fences or shared equipment, providing multiple pathways for spread. Wildlife can shed virus and move across landscapes, creating opportunities for spillover into domestic herds and for infected domestic animals to seed wildlife populations as well. The broad host range and these interaction opportunities mean that containment at the interface is crucial to prevent rapid, widespread transmission. Therefore, transmission at the wildlife-domestic interface would indeed be an issue.

Cross-species transmission at the wildlife-domestic interface is a real risk for foot-and-mouth disease because the virus is highly contagious across many cloven-hoofed species, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and various wild ungulates. When the virus enters, animals in the wild and on farms often share grazing areas, water sources, and even come into contact through fences or shared equipment, providing multiple pathways for spread. Wildlife can shed virus and move across landscapes, creating opportunities for spillover into domestic herds and for infected domestic animals to seed wildlife populations as well. The broad host range and these interaction opportunities mean that containment at the interface is crucial to prevent rapid, widespread transmission. Therefore, transmission at the wildlife-domestic interface would indeed be an issue.