Foot and Mouth disease

Ruptured oral blister in diseased cow.
FOOT and MOUTH disease in cattle

Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease (Aphthae epizooticae) is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affectscloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids.^[1][2] The virus causes a high fever for two or three days, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has severe implications for animal farming, since it is highly infectious and can be spread by infected animals throughaerosols, through contact with contaminated farming equipment, vehicles, clothing, or feed, and by domestic and wild predators.^[3] Its containment demands considerable efforts in vaccination, strict monitoring, trade restrictions, and quarantines, and occasionally the killing of animals.