Rebecca Kaplan Presents "Viral Space: 20th Century Transnational Foot and Mouth Disease Control in North America"

In the first half of the 20th century, Mexico, the United States, and Canada implemented strict slaughter and quarantine programs to eradicate outbreaks of foot and mouth disease. Federal agencies culled thousands of livestock and wild animals to prevent the spread of the disease in North America and went so far as to ban research of the virus to prevent lab-caused outbreaks and keep the continent’s “virus-free” status. In the mid-20th century, modified and new concepts of managing animals during FMD outbreaks developed. This talk will consider how changing medical technology, environmental factors, and political forces impacted FMD eradication policies, animal economies, and food production. It will also explore immigrant identities of livestock and the relationship between animal disease control and efforts to control the movement of animals and people across borders in North America.