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Foot- and-mouth disease as zoonosis
1Landesuntersuchungsamt für das Gesundheitswesen Nordbayern, Nürnberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Abstract:
Man's susceptibility to the virus of foot- and-mouth disease (FMD) was debated for many years. Today the virus has been isolated and typed (type O, followed by type C and rarely A) in more than 40 human cases. So no doubt remains that FMD is a zoonosis. Considering the high incidence of the disease (in animals) in the past and in some areas up to date, occurrence in man is quite rare. In the past when FMD was endemic in Central Europe many cases of diseases in man showing vesicles in the mouth or on the hands and feet were called FMD. The first suggestion of a human infection with FMD was reported in 1695 by Valentini in Germany [7]. All reports before 1897, the year of the discovery of the virus of FMD by Loeffler and Frosch [2], were not of course confirmed either by isolation of the virus or by identification of immunoglobulins after infection. Nevertheless the successful self-infection reported by Hertwig in 1834 most likely seems to have been FMD in man: each of three veterinarians drank 250 ml of milk from infected cows on four consecutive days. The three men developed clinical manifestations. The diseases most often confused with FMD are infections with several viruses of the Coxsackie A group (this infection is referred to as "hand and mouth disease"), herpes simplex and sometimes vesicular stomatitis. Beginning in 1921 up to 1969 at least 38 papers were published, which described clinically manifest FMD in man in more than 40 proven cases. One further reported described an asymptomatic infection with FMD in man [10]. Criteria for establishing a diagnosis of FMD in man are the isolation of the virus from the patient and/or identification of specific antibodies after infection. Laboratory tests for diagnosis of human FMD are the same as for animals. Proven cases of FMD in man have occurred in several countries in Europe, Africa and South America. The type of virus most frequently isolated man is type O followed by type C and rarely A. The incubation period in man, although somewhat variable, has not been found to be less than two days and rarely more than six days.
Insights
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a zoonosis, confirmed by over 40 human cases. While rare in humans, FMD virus types O, C, and A can infect people, with an incubation period of 2-6 days.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has long been suspected as a human pathogen.
- Historically, numerous cases of vesicular diseases in humans were attributed to FMD.
- The isolation and typing of FMD virus (types O, C, A) in humans confirm its zoonotic nature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To confirm Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) as a zoonosis.
- To review the history and diagnosis of FMD in humans.
- To identify the FMD virus types and incubation period in human cases.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical reports and scientific literature from 1695 to 1969.
- Isolation and typing of FMD virus from human cases.
- Identification of specific antibodies in infected individuals.
- Clinical observation and diagnosis of FMD in humans.
Main Results:
- Over 40 confirmed human cases of FMD have been documented.
- FMD virus types O, C, and A have been isolated from humans.
- The incubation period for FMD in humans ranges from 2 to 6 days.
- FMD in humans is often confused with Coxsackie A virus, herpes simplex, and vesicular stomatitis.
Conclusions:
- Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a confirmed zoonosis with documented human infections.
- Diagnosis of human FMD relies on virus isolation and antibody identification, similar to animal diagnostics.
- Despite its rarity in humans, FMD poses a public health concern, necessitating accurate diagnosis and differentiation from other vesicular diseases.