Foot-and-mouth disease virus: cause of the recent crisis for the UK livestock industry.

The recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom is a stark reminder of the economic devastation that this disease can wreak. Tracing the origin of such an outbreak is an essential part of disease control. Modern molecular methods have been in place for a number of years to enable scientists to identify unambiguously the strain of virus responsible. However, tracing the precise origin of such a strain is not so straightforward because the virus can move rapidly around the world with legal and illegal trade in animals and animal products. This short review describes the virus, its control and epidemiology.