Foot and Mouth Disease:
General Information

Guidelines for Movement of Military Personnel, Personal Property, Cargo, and Military Equipment from Foot-and-Mouth Disease Affected Countries

MILITARY PERSONNEL

All military personnel must be cleared through the Federal Inspection Services and, if necessary, subjected to inspection by US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

1. Garden tools, bicycles, and other outside items should be carefully examined for presence of dirt, soil, or manure. Any dirty or soiled item should be cleaned with soapy water followed by disinfection with an approved disinfectant.
2. Vehicles must be cleaned and disinfected. Particular attention must be given to the tires, wheel wells, undercarriage, and engine area. Upholstery must be vacuumed.
3. Other household effects and other personal effects that are found to be dirty/soiled should be wiped with an approved disinfectant or bleach solution.
4. All meat and meat products are prohibited, with the exception of canned shelf stable hams. Commercially produced hard cheese is allowable if the product does not contain meat. Generally all other animal products should be considered, unless specific clearance for entry has been given by USDA APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service).
5. Clothing should be laundered prior to packing. Shoes must be free from dirt/soil/manure and have been wiped with a solution of disinfectant.

1. Pallets, field canvas tents, wooden crates, and other military goods must be cleaned and disinfected.
2. All military rolling equipment (trucks, humvees, field cannons, etc) must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with approved disinfectant. Trucks and humvees must be vacuumed to remove dirt and soil and their interiors wiped with disinfectant. Special attention must be given to tanks. These must first be broken down to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection.
3. It is not necessary to clean and disinfect the outside of rolling aircraft. However, any galley or passenger area or any area that has held garbage must be disinfected with an approved disinfectant.
4. Helicopter skids should be cleaned and disinfected.
5. Any military equipment that has been used in the eradication effort in the United Kingdom will not be allowed entry into the US.

1. Any large scale movement of military personnel and equipment from high risk areas requires prior written notification and approval by USDA/APHIS.
2. This notification must include number of involved personnel, type of exercise, length and location of exercise, and type of military equipment involved.
3. All precautions mentioned above must be observed.
4. Arrival in the US must be coordinated with USDA/APHIS. Entry of personnel and equipment will be overseen by USDA/APHIS.

1. A 1% solution of bleach made from household bleach with 5.25 percent available chlorine may be used. Virkon-S Broad Spectrum Disinfectant may also be used according to label recommendations. These are the recommended disinfectants for return to the US only. Other countries may have other required disinfectants.
2. Appropriate personal safety recommendations must be followed.