Studies on the 1967–8 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic: The relation of weather to the spread of disease

Abstract

SUMMARY An analysis of the 1967–8 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic with reference to the initial spread, the origin of outbreaks more than 60 km. from the main epidemic area, the series of outbreaks near Worcester, a specific case history and the daily rate of spread of the epidemic, strongly suggests that the weather played a major part in the spread of disease. The two main factors involved in this type of spread are wind and precipitation. It is noted that after the epidemic had been checked, following anticyclonic weather, the association between the weather and the spread of disease was less apparent.