Cases that have been reported have been mild and self-limiting, no human to human transmission has ever been reported, and FMD is not transmitted to humans through the food chain. FMD is therefore not a public health threat. It is caused by a virus of the family Picornaviridae, genus Aphthovirus, of which there are seven main types. In animals the disease presents with acute fever, followed by the development of blisters chiefly in the mouth and on the feet of the animal.
Infected animals secrete numerous virus particles before clinical signs appear.
The overall risk of human infection with FMD is extremely small. There were no human cases during the 1981 outbreak. This can result in a painful mouth and difficulty in eating, drinking and talking. Human cases have usually recovered a week after the last blister formation. There are no reports of person to person spread.