Is foot-and mouth disease present in U.S. cattle herds?
A. No. The U.S. has not had a case of foot-and-mouth disease since 1929, which was contained and eradicated quickly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regularly monitors for any disease among U.S. cattle herds and takes aggressive steps to prevent FMD from spreading to the U.S. whenever there is an outbreak in other countries: * As part of its ongoing surveillance program, the USDA conducts hundreds of field inquiries each year in an effort to detect animal diseases that might affect livestock. * When there is an outbreak of FMD in another country, the U.S. temporarily prohibits the importation of animals and animal products from the European Union into the United States. These restrictions augment those already in place on ruminants and ruminant products to prevent the introduction of BSE into the U.S. * The government also prohibits travelers from carrying into the United States any agricultural products, particularly animal products that could spread FMD. Passengers are requ
