An Iowa State Veterinarian says that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that we need to be prepared for all future outbreaks. If Foot and Mouth Disease were to ravage livestock, she says that it would be similar to grounding all air traffic, which is no easy task.
“Stopping livestock movement is no small lift by any means, but that process is what they are really trying to look at. What would happen is, no new movement of livestock will occur during this period of time. Packers, processors, and our auction markets, they’re going to sit idle until we can try to get arms around where this disease is and where it isn’t,” Dr. Danelle Bickett-Weddle said. “Again, COVID has taught us, stopping that, while painful economically, is one way to kind of slow the spread of something as contagious as foot and mouth disease.”
Dr. Bickett-Weddle says that ranchers would be required to have permits to move animals and a premise ID for traceability.
Ranchers worry despite having tech to track cattle diseases.
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