Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- April 17, 2001

Livestock vaccination not a cure-all for foot-and-mouth disease (:44)

Suggested Intro:

AS THE U.S. LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY MONITORS FOR POTENTIAL OUTBREAKS OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE, SOME OFFICIALS ARE DEBATING WHETHER SUSCEPTIBLE ANIMALS SHOULD BE VACCINATED. BUT A VETERINARIAN IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS VACCINATING IS NOT A MAGIC BULLET. CHUCK GILL REPORTS:

Story:

(:12) PENN STATE EXTENSION VETERINARIAN DAVID GRISWOLD SAYS MANY FACTORS LIMIT THE ADVANTAGES OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE VACCINATION. HE SAYS THERE ARE SEVERAL STRAINS OF THE FOOT-AND-MOUTH VIRUS, AND A VACCINE AGAINST ONE STRAIN WON'T PROTECT AGAINST OTHERS.

(:06) AND, GRISWOLD SAYS, NOT ALL VACCINATED ANIMALS WILL DEVELOP IMMUNITY TO THE HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE:

Griswold Actuality:

(:15) "IT ALSO DOESN'T PREVENT ANIMALS WHO ARE EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS FROM TAKING THAT VIRUS INTO THEIR BODIES AND BECOMING CARRIERS FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. SO ALTHOUGH WE IMMUNIZE, WE MAY NOT BE PREVENTING THE INFECTION OR THE CARRIER STATE."

(:11) GRISWOLD ALSO SAYS BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO TELL A VACCINATED ANIMAL FROM ONE THAT'S CARRYING THE VIRUS...MANY COUNTRIES REFUSE TO IMPORT MEAT-RELATED PRODUCTS FROM COUNTRIES THAT ARE VACCINATING. FROM PENN STATE, I'M CHUCK GILL.

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To learn more, follow this link:

Penn State Foot-and-Mouth Disease Information Center

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