Even though horses are still permitted entry into the United States from the UK and Northern Ireland, the US Animal Import Center quarantines all horses coming from Europe for 3 days, and routinely disinfects the hooves and coats of horses under quarantine. Virus may be present in milk and semen for up to four days before the onset of clinical signs. Symptoms of FMD are similar to the symptoms of vesicular stomatitis, swine vesicular disease, vesicular exanthema of swine, BVD, mucosal disease, IBR, foot rot and bluetongue. Due to its highly infectious nature, FMD is one of the most difficult animal diseases to control. There is a vaccine, but it is not available in the United States, and countries using the vaccine are not allowed to export vaccinated animals because there is no way to differentiate between vaccinated and infected animals.
Control is based on quarantine and slaughter.