Foot-and-mouth disease vaccines

•Although FMD vaccines have been available for over 70 years, disease prevention has only been successful in limited regions of the world.•Substantial progress in FMD virus research at the molecular, cellular and live animal levels has been made in recent decades.•New inactivated FMDV DIVA marker, and purified protein-based vaccines are in advanced stages of development.•An adenovirus vectored FMD vaccine was granted in 2012 a license for production in USA and use in emergency situations in cattle. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious disease of cloven-hoofed animals. The disease affects many areas of the world, often causing extensive epizootics in livestock, mostly farmed cattle and swine, although sheep, goats and many wild species are also susceptible. In countries where food and farm animals are essential for subsistence agriculture, outbreaks of FMD seriously impact food security and development. In highly industrialized developed nations, FMD endemics cause economic and social devastation mainly due to observance of health measures adopted from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). High morbidity, complex host-range and broad genetic diversity make FMD prevention and control exceptionally challenging. In this article we review multiple vaccine approaches developed over the years ultimately aimed to successfully control and eradicate this feared disease.