Foot-and-mouth disease reproduction number: A scoping review

Authors: GUNASEKERA, UMANGA - University Of Minnesota; VANDERWAAL, KIMBERLY - University Of Minnesota; Arzt, Jonathan; PEREZ, ANDRES - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/21/2025
Publication Date: 6/5/2025
Citation: Gunasekera, U., Vanderwaal, K., Arzt, J., Perez, A. 2025. Foot-and-mouth disease reproduction number: A scoping review. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Volume 12 - 2025. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1576974.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1576974

Interpretive Summary: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most important diseases affecting global trade in livestock and their derived products. The virus that causes FMD is highly contagious, but specific information about the extent of contagiousness and how to measure such are controversial. The reproduction number, sometimes called "R0", is an important indicator to assess disease spread and evaluate the impact of preventive and control measures for FMD and other infectious diseases. This paper details different manners of calculating R0 for FMD and highlights the necessity of further studies due to a limited number of studies. Ultimately this information contributes to USA preparedness for outbreaks of FMD.

Technical Abstract: Approximately two-thirds of the countries worldwide are considered to be foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)-affected according to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). The effective reproduction number (Re) is an important indicator to assess disease spread and evaluate the impact of preventive and control measures for FMD and other infectious diseases. Re is defined as the number of secondary infections caused by one infected animal in a susceptible population accounting for maternal immunity, immunity from previous infections, and vaccination. When estimated at farm/ herd level or above, this parameter is identified with terms such as Rh or Rf (commonly identified as R in this study). This study reviews the values of R estimated for FMD globally using empirical data. The PICO criteria (population, intervention, comparison, and outcome) were used to search different databases and to identify relevant studies, resulting in the identification of 10 peer-reviewed articles from eight different countries within the past 20 years (1994-2024). Regardless of the diversity of epidemiological scenarios, the R-value of FMD remained from 0 to 13.3 with a median value of 1.68 for above farm level transmission. Results here summarize the expected range of values for R under different epidemiological conditions, contributing to the design and evaluation of prevention and control strategies and, ultimately, mitigating the impact of one of the most impactful livestock diseases worldwide. This review highlights the necessity of further studies due to a limited number of studies calculating R for FMD using empirical data.