Foot-and-mouth disease

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Foot-and-mouth disease is a serious viral disease that affects livestock, including cattle, pigs and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. It is highly contagious and carries significant socio-economic consequences, with losses that can exceed 20 billion dollars annually in affected countries. If reintroduced into FMD-free countries it could cause losses of more than 8 billion dollars. In addition to its enormous economic impact, foot-and-mouth disease is associated with serious social problems, especially in the most vulnerable populations.

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Fact sheet

Countries affected by foot-and-mouth disease suffer severe economic losses due to the decrease in the production of meat and milk and the devaluation of animal products in the context of the international market, which imposes serious obstacles to their development. This amply justifies the efforts that the affected countries are making within the framework of the Hemispheric Plan for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease towards the eradication of the disease.

Foot-and-mouth disease belongs to the so-called vesicular disease complex, which also includes vesicular stomatitis (VS), vesicular rash, and swine vesicular disease (SVD). In the affected species, these diseases commonly cause the formation of vesicles with whitish epithelium containing colorless or slightly bloody fluid, which are pathognomonic for these diseases. Due to the similarity of symptoms and clinical signs between the aforementioned diseases and other so-called confusable diseases, the diagnosis should always be based on specific diagnostic tests and a detailed epidemiological tracing study.

PAHO Response

In 1951, the countries of the Organization of American States asked the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for support to combat foot-and-mouth disease on the continent. Since then, PANAFTOSA/SPV has been promoting permanent technical cooperation with the countries of the Americas, with the aim of developing and strengthening national and regional initiatives to eradicate, prevent and prepare for a possible reintroduction of the disease.

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Questions and Answers on the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Americas

Hemispheric Program for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease – PHEFA

The Hemispheric Program for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (PHEFA) was established in 1988 during the meeting of the Hemispheric Committee for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (COHEFA), held in Washington DC, USA. The Program aimed to set guidelines for the control and eradication of foot-and-mouth disease across the continent. The first PHEFA Action Plan, developed between 1988 and 2009, was a milestone that set the regional challenge of eradicating the disease by 2009. The second Action Plan, 2011-2020, achieved over 95% of the territory and livestock and animal populations being classified as free of foot-and-mouth disease, whether with or without vaccination. The third Action Plan (2021-2025), with new guidelines and strategies, aims to achieve complete eradication of foot-and-mouth disease throughout the continent by 2025.

The overall purpose of the 2021-2025 Action Plan is to complete eradication across the American continent and strengthen veterinary services. It focuses on three specific objectives: eradicating foot-and-mouth disease in Venezuela, continuing the transition to "disease-free without vaccination" status in countries already free, and maintaining the health status in disease-free territories.

Regional Antigen Bank for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (BANVACO)

In 2012, during the 12th Meeting of the Hemispheric Committee for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (COHEFA), the countries of the Americas, with a forward-looking vision, approved a resolution urging COSALFA members to review restrictions on the handling of foot-and-mouth disease virus strains from outside the region. Additionally, the Pan American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health of the Pan American Health Organization (PANAFTOSA/SPV-PAHO/WHO) was requested to develop a project to establish a regional antigen/vaccine bank to meet the strategic needs of the countries. In December 2018, following multiple technical discussions and legal analyses among member countries, the final proposal for the founding agreement of the Regional Antigen Bank for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (BANVACO) was submitted. The management of BANVACO was entrusted by the COSALFA countries to PAHO to ensure its status as a supranational and neutral entity, leveraging its extensive experience in the acquisition, maintenance, and distribution of antigens and vaccines.

The objective of the Bank is to ensure the effective availability of antigens and vaccines for the containment of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in currently disease-free populations in the Americas, in the event of an immediate disease notification made in accordance with the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Additionally, it aims to maintain reserves of antigens for all serotypes of foot-and-mouth disease viruses that currently pose a threat to South American countries, for use in emergency vaccination in case of a potential outbreak. 

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South American Commission for the Fight Against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (COSALFA)

The South American Commission for the Fight Against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (COSALFA) was established in 1972 during the V Inter-American Meeting at the Ministerial Level on Foot-and-Mouth Disease Control and Other Zoonoses (RICAZ V). The Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center of the Pan American Health Organization (PANAFTOSA/PAHO/WHO) was established as the ex officio Secretariat of the Commission.

In February 1973, the first COSALFA Meeting took place, and since then, 50 Regular Meetings and six Extraordinary Meetings have been held.

Today, the Commission is composed of 26 representatives from 13 countries in the Americas, including one representative from the public sector – the head of the national official veterinary service – and one representative from the private sector – affiliated with the highest national guild organization representing livestock producers.

The 13 countries in the Americas that are members of COSALFA are: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and Uruguay.

The purpose of the Commission is to assess the progress of national control and eradication programs for foot-and-mouth disease in the region, ensuring the regional integration of intervention actions.

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Hemispheric Committee for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (COHEFA)

The Hemispheric Committee for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (COHEFA) was established by Resolution XIII of the V Inter-American Meeting at the Ministerial Level on Animal Health (RIMSA V), held in Washington, D.C., from April 27 to 30, 1987. The Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center (PANAFTOSA/SPV-PAHO/WHO) serves as the ex officio Secretariat of the Committee.

In July 1988, the first COHEFA Meeting was held, and since then, 13 Regular Meetings and 2 Extraordinary Meetings have taken place.

The purpose of the Committee is to provide a forum for discussion on the policies of foot-and-mouth disease eradication programs across the American continent, defining strategies, action lines, and resource management to achieve the goals set out in the Hemispheric Program for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (PHEFA) action plans.

COHEFA is composed of representatives from both the public and private sectors in the Americas, distributed across 6 subregions: Amazon, Andean, Caribbean, Southern Cone, Mesoamerica, and North America.

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Sanitary status of the countries in the Americas regarding foot-and-mouth disease

The sanitary status of a country or area as free from foot-and-mouth disease is certified by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). (OMSA).

Below the WOAH map, it is possible to access the website of each country in the Americas for more information regarding foot-and-mouth disease.