Which statement about Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is FALSE?

The statement regarding Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) being easy to vaccinate against due to a single serotype is false because FMD actually has multiple serotypes. The disease is caused by the Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV), which is grouped into seven main serotypes: O, A, C, SAT 1, SAT 2, and Asia 1. This diversity in serotypes complicates vaccination efforts, as a vaccine that is effective against one serotype may not provide protection against others. Therefore, the vaccination strategy needs to consider the prevalent serotypes in an area to ensure effective disease control.

In addition, the other aspects of FMD are accurate. The causative agent is indeed a non-enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus, which makes it resilient in various environments. The disease affects all cloven-hoofed animals, making its impact significant in both domestic and wild populations. Lastly, the disease can lead to high morbidity rates, sometimes approaching 100% in susceptible populations, causing severe economic losses in the livestock industry and necessitating careful management and control measures.