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Veterinary Medicine vocabulary · Animal Diseases

Foot-and-mouth disease

Meaning in veterinary medicine, with examples

/ˌfʊt ən ˈmaʊθ dɪˌziːz/nounCore term

In veterinary medicine, foot-and-mouth disease means: A highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, causing fever and blisters in the mouth and on the feet.

In Turkish: şap hastalığı, şap

How it is used

Shortened to FMD. It is a notifiable disease with major effects on trade: outbreaks lead to movement bans, culling or mass vaccination, and Turkey vaccinates against it. It is a different disease from hand, foot and mouth disease in children.

Example sentences

  1. Foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed, and all animal movements in the district were stopped.

  2. Lame sheep with mouth lesions must be reported as suspected foot-and-mouth disease.

Common collocations

  • foot-and-mouth disease outbreak
  • FMD vaccination
  • FMD-free zone
  • suspected foot-and-mouth disease
  • notifiable diseaseA disease that, by law, must be reported to the government veterinary authorities as soon as it is suspected, even before it is confirmed.
  • biosecurityThe set of measures used to stop infectious diseases from getting into a farm, clinic or country and from spreading inside it.
  • quarantineKeeping animals apart for a set period because they may carry an infectious disease, so that it does not spread to other animals.
  • cattleCows, bulls, steers and calves kept for milk or meat. It is a plural noun with no singular form.
  • ruminantA plant-eating animal with a four-compartment stomach that chews the cud, such as cattle, sheep, goats and deer.

More terms: Animal Diseases

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.