Foreign animal diseases can be ruled out in disease outbreaks affecting only wild animals because:

• A. Wild animals are unlikely to come into contact with carriers
• B. Domestic animals are generally more susceptible to foreign animal diseases
• C. Any foreign animal disease that affects wild animals will spread into domestic herds long before sick wild animals are noticed
• D. None of the above. Foreign animal diseases must be considered when an outbreak affects only wild animals.

Answer: (D)

Foreign animal diseases must be considered in wildlife outbreaks because wild populations can harbor foreign pathogens and serve as reservoirs, with the potential to spill over into domestic herds. Transmission can occur through direct or indirect contact, shared resources (like water or grazing areas), vectors, or human activities, so an outbreak seen only in wild animals does not rule out a foreign disease. Early testing and reporting are essential to protect livestock health and trade, and to prevent unnoticed spread across species. The other statements rely on assumptions about contact, susceptibility, or guaranteed spillover that aren’t reliable, whereas the prudent approach is to keep foreign animal diseases in mind whenever wildlife outbreaks occur.