Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious infectious disease of significant sanitary and economic importance to the global livestock industry, caused by the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV), belonging to the family Picornaviridae, genus Aphthovirus. It is one of the most feared animal diseases due to its rapid spread and severe impacts on the international trade of animals and animal-derived products.
FMDV primarily affects cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and wildlife. The infection is characterized by the formation of vesicles and erosions in the oral cavity, tongue, gums, muzzle, lips, teats, and the interdigital region of the hooves, accompanied by fever, intense salivation, lameness, and a sharp decline in milk production and weight gain.
Virus transmission occurs extremely efficiently through both direct contact between infected and susceptible animals and indirect routes, including aerosols, fomites, vehicles, equipment, clothing, food, and contaminated animal-derived products. The virus exhibits high environmental resistance under favorable conditions, which contributes to its rapid spread.
The impacts of Foot-and-Mouth Disease extend beyond direct production losses, including severe sanitary restrictions, culling, high eradication costs, and significant losses to the production chain and international trade. Countries or regions with disease occurrence may lose their sanitary status, affecting exports.
Prevention and control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease are based on strict biosecurity measures, active and passive epidemiological surveillance, control of animal and product movement, as well as official vaccination programs, where implemented. Immediate reporting of suspected cases is mandatory, given the sanitary emergency nature of the disease.
Continuous epidemiological surveillance and rapid response capacity are fundamental for the containment of outbreaks. Early identification of the virus through laboratory methods, coupled with coordinated sanitary defense actions, is essential to protect herds, preserve sanitary status, and minimize economic impacts.
In this context, the Bioperfectus Foot-and-Mouth Disease rapid test stands out as a strategic screening tool for immediate sanitary surveillance support. Its use enables rapid detection of suspected animals directly in the field—at rural properties, sanitary barriers, or during animal health emergencies—allowing for the immediate implementation of containment measures such as isolation, area interdiction, animal movement restrictions, and notification to official authorities. As such, the rapid test complements confirmatory laboratory methods, contributing to early outbreak identification, reduced FMDV spread, and the strengthening of Foot-and-Mouth Disease control and eradication actions.
