Procedures for preventing transmission of foot-and-mouth disease virus (O/TAW/97) by people

The aim of this study was to determine personal hygiene protocols and animal avoidance periods needed to prevent transmission of FMDV (O/TAW/97). Forty-six, 9-week-old barrows free of FMDV were randomly allocated to five treatment groups and a control group. Investigators contacted and sampled FMDV-inoculated pigs for approximately 40 min and then contacted and sampled sentinel pigs after using no biosecurity procedures, washing hands and donning clean outerwear, or showering and donning clean outerwear. Personnel were sampled for nasal carriage of FMDV for 85.43 h. Contaminated personnel did not transmit FMDV to susceptible pigs after handwashing or showering, and donning clean outerwear. FMDV was transmitted when biosecurity procedures were not used. FMDV was not detected in nasal secretions of investigators. Thus, extended animal avoidance periods do not appear to be necessary to prevent transmission of FMDV (O/TAW/97) by people to pigs when organic material is removed through handwashing/showering and donning clean outerwear. This study supports similar findings in a previous publication using FMDV (O/UK/35/2001).