Diagnostic Tests for The Control of Foot and Mouth Disease: An Overview

Abstract

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a major trans-boundary animal disease (TAD) that has a great potential for causing severe economic loss in susceptible claven-hoofed animals. This paper describes the various diagnostic tests available for FMD, the limitations of each and their potential application in a low technology setting. The need to have complementary field and laboratory operations including suitable samples and transport methods are discussed, and examples are given. The importance of a quality assurance system to assess the accuracy and precision of diagnostic results is highlighted.