If an outbreak occurred in U.S., this disease could spread rapidly to all sections of the country by routine livestock movements unless it was detected early and eradicated immediately. Livestock producers are key to early detection and eradication. The Illinois livestock industry is a major economic contributor to the rural, urban, and state economies. These jobs do not include professions in zoos, or attributable to other hoofed animals like llamas, deer, bison, etc. Nationwide, the animal livestock sector contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy.
Exports are also significant.
These numbers do not include exports of hides and skins, livestock genetics, and other products. If the U.S. were to face a severe outbreak of FMD, the costs of eradication and losses to the livestock industry would total billions of dollars. The best way to lessen these costs is through early detection and eradication. The disease is caused by a virus that can persist in contaminated feed and the environment for up to one month, depending on the temperature and soil conditions. There are at least seven separate strains and many subtypes of the FMD virus.