[The foot and mouth disease outbreak 6 years later: consequences for veterinarians]

The consequences of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001 in The Netherlands can still be noticed in the daily work of the veterinarians involved. In particular, the number off arm animals has decreased, regulations have changed, and cattle farmers have become more confrontational. While the psychosocial consequences to veterinarians of the outbreak have decreased compared with immediately after the outbreak, this decrease is not statistically significant. Moreover, 40% of the veterinarians involved still show signs of a traumatic stress reaction. Should another outbreak occur, it is important that local veterinarians are contacted, in order to improve communication with cattle farmers.