Symposium: international challenges and perspectives: internationalism and survival of foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle and food products.

Foot-and-mouth disease is a serious world-wide economic disease of livestock and diverse animal species. The closing of borders to infected countries is a frequent aftermath of disease outbreaks. Historically, animals and animal products have been implicated as vehicles for transmission of the disease. Control programs encompass stringent importation policies, vaccination, quarantine, and slaughter. Joint efforts have been instituted successfully in previous control campaigns and would be the logical approach to large-scale eradication schemas.