Egypt has seen significant change and upheaval in the past year is now experiencing a severe outbreak of foot and mouth disease. This outbreak is the result of a new strain of the virus, SAT2, a strain never before seen in Egypt. Foot and Mouth disease is a highly infectious viral disease that targets animals with cloven hooves and can spread through air, close animal-to-animal contact, bodily fluids and even contaminated objects such as farmer’s clothes. Despite the wider range of mortality rates, it seems that young animals are more susceptible than older ones. Although humans are safe from contracting the disease, they still feel the repercussions as animal health affects productivity, specifically agricultural, and local economy. Vaccination against Foot and Mouth disease can be quite complicated as the immunity achieved is temporary and there’s a plethora of strains requiring different vaccines. This is the problem with the current outbreak – it is caused by a new strain and animals have no immunity.
