When should you contact a state animal health official if FMD is suspected?

• A. Immediately, the state animal health official will advise you what to do next; they may have you stay at the farm until responders arrive.
• B. At the end of the day when you make the rest of your calls
• C. Never, as FMD is endemic and you're not to contact a state animal health official about endemic diseases.
• D. Not until you get a definitive diagnosis; you don't want to waste their time

Answer: (A)

When a disease like foot-and-mouth disease is suspected, immediate reporting to a state animal health official is essential. This is a highly contagious, reportable disease, and rapid notification triggers the official response needed to contain potential spread. The official will guide you on the next steps and may even have responders come to the farm and direct you to stay on-site or implement quarantine and biosecurity measures until they arrive. Acting quickly helps protect other animals, movements, and premises, and it enables proper sampling, confirmation, and coordination of the investigation.

Delaying the call until later in the day or until a definitive diagnosis is reached can allow the disease to spread and complicate control efforts. Treating it as something to be checked only after confirmation wastes valuable time. Also, the idea that you should never contact officials because the disease is endemic is incorrect in places where FMD is not routinely present; even if other diseases are common, FMD suspicion still requires prompt reporting. Waiting for a definite, lab-confirmed diagnosis before contacting authorities is not appropriate, since authorities provide guidance and containment actions based on suspicion to prevent further spread.