Susan, Hoof and Mouth disease forms blisters in the mouths and cloven
hooves of these animals.  No vaccine is effective because it mutates and
mutates quickly and well.  It affects only the animals (not humans ac/c to
the sources I have read) but is deadly to the animals.  There might be a
chance of human infections plus no one wants to each animals that are not
healthy.  The disease spreads via tracking (on our shoes), from animal to
human carrier (or on vehicle tires, etc) to another cloven hooved animal.
As a high school aged person in Oklahoma, I remember us having to pour milk
out on the ground due to an anthrax outbreak.  We could not even feed it to
our pigs, or "cook" pastuerize (paralyze it as my younger brother would
say)it for usage.  These are costly measures for those who earn a
substantial portion of their livelihood.  I don't think anyone understands
the devastation it brings personally to those involved unless you have been
through some such process.  I observed my father being very worried because
he could also lose all his cattle; both dairy and beef.  The vaccinations
did work thank God!  Unfortunately, there is not a viably successful
vaccination for Hoof and Mouth disease.  Sharon Osborn, San Francisco 
(NOTE: look up Hoof and Mouth disease via Web access)
> [Original Message]
> From: Susan Owens <ohenry@dfw.net>
> To: HistoNet Server <HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu>
> Date: 3/20/01 11:06:20 AM
> Subject: Irish in me/ Hoof and Mouth
>
> Well there's no Irish in me, but I gave my Labs(dogs) new green St.Patrick
> toys for the holiday. They were enjoyed by all.
> 
> I have a question on this Hoof & Mouth......Since the disease is self
> limiting, and since there is a vaccine aganist it, WHY haven't all these
> animals been vaccinated?.....Why  destroy hundred of thousands of healthy
> animals when vaccinations would have prevented this terrible thing in the
> first place.....What are the government and owners thinking???
> 
> I don't understand, does anyone have an answer as to why they would choose
> to destroy maybe millions of animals rather then vaccinate them so this
> wouldn't happen?
> 
> Susan
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Date: 19 Mar 2001 21:20:22 -0600
> From: "ryandes@esatclear.ie" <ryandes@esatclear.ie>
> Subject: Re: The Irish in me
> 
> Hello Connie,
>          Yes the St Patricks Day Parades were cancelled in Ireland as a
> precautionary measure to prevent the gathering of large crowds of people
> just in case Foot & Mouth gets into this country.
>            There have been no cases in the Republic of Ireland and only
one
> case in the North of Ireland and that was a sheep bought in from England.
> All sheep that had been brought in from the UK were slaughtered as a
> preventative measure. Since there have been no new cases  it is looking
> better for this little island as a whole.
>          It is a looking like an epidemic in the UK as a result of pigs
> being fed swill from an Internartional  airline. It was in the UK  in 1967
> but vigilance kept it out of here. Now the defences are up again and there
> are checks in place at ports and borders to prevent movement of animals
and
> disinfection of wheels of vehicles etc.
>           The Parade in Dublin is to go ahead at a later date.
> 
> Annette Ryan
> Ireland
> 
> 
> At 11:52 AM 3/16/01 -0700, you wrote:
> 
> >
> >I heard St. Patrick's day celebrations have been canceled in most parts
> >of ireland due to the Hoof & Mouth outbreak.   If this is true, I'm so
> >sorry to hear this.  I hope to brighten your day by wishing all Irish
> >Histonetters a most pleasant and happy day, anyway!
> >
> >and to all the rest of you...  Let the party begin!! *G*
> >
> >HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!
> >
> >Connie McManus (whose good Irish name comes by way of marriage)
> 
> 
> 
> 



--- Sharon Osborn
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