27 March 2025

Foot and Mouth (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease, which occurs worldwide affecting cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs. FMD can be transmitted via various routes including contaminated footwear and clothing, contaminated equipment, including farm buildings, vehicles and visitor vehicles, contamination through movements of the animals including loading ramps, pasture and roads and through other animals including dogs, cats, birds and rodents. Even if not infected themselves they may carry the virus on their feet. FMD can have a devastating effect on livestock and if infected can cause animals severe pain and distress. Therefore, obtaining effective approved hygiene products is crucial in disease prevention. 

Biosecurity Best Practices
Biosecurity is about the practical things you can do on and around the farm to prevent introduction and spread of the disease. To protect your livestock, business, and neighbours, always practice good biosecurity. Identify risks and critical control points and implement protocols and training to limit disease spread.

Providing footwear and clothing for staff and visitors will help reduce contamination risks. Materials such as mud, manure and bedding can carry the virus therefore sheltered boot baths at every entrance and controlled changing facilities where fresh laundered workwear is available should be provided. Remove all debris from dirty workwear before disinfecting and never leave the premises in your working clothes. Boot baths should be filled using the correct dilution of an approved disinfectant and refreshed regularly. This will prevent you and other individuals from contaminating the farm and high-risk areas. 

Evans recommend FAM 30 to disinfect livestock housing, vehicles and equipment. Vehicles can carry the virus further than any other form of transmission, so careful attention should be given to cleaning and disinfecting, including the underneath and the interior of the vehicle. When disinfecting livestock housing all equipment and organic matter should be removed, and any heavy soiling should be cleaned before using the product. The area should be left to dry before replacing equipment and restocking.

It is crucial to keep the farm secure, only allowing necessary visitors onto the property and making sure that they follow the biosecurity measures put in place. A member of staff should be present to escort them at all times to ensure that they keep to designated areas throughout their visit. Restricted areas, such as livestock pens, and feed storage should be clearly marked. A separate car park should be provided to visitors to prevent contamination from vehicles off site.

DEFRA Approved 
FAM 30 is proven to reduce the spread of FMD and create a stronger biosecurity defence. The recommended dilution rate has been approved by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) in the UK to effectively fight against the disease.

FAM 30 is a multi-purpose iodophor disinfectant. It is fast-acting bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal offering excellent all-round protection. It was the original iodine-based livestock disinfectant used in the 1960s to help combat the devastating Foot and Mouth epidemic in the UK in 1967. It helped in immobilising the disease, using a combination of surfactant and blended acid formulation. Since then, FAM 30 has been reformulated and enhanced and has established a reputation for being an outstanding iodophor disinfectant. FAM 30 is approved at a dilution rate of 1:550.

For more information download our FAM 30 Global Biosecurity Brochure here.  

Please also visit the GOV websites for the latest updates on Foot and Mouth guidance.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/foot-and-mouth-disease