If they catch the germs, their hooves and mouths can develop painful blisters. Many animals recover, but they remain weak. They cannot produce as much milk or supply as much meat as they could before their illness. It does not pose a threat to human beings. The disease is spread easily among animals.
People can also spread the disease to animals through germs carried on their clothing.
Vehicles can bring the disease from farm to farm. Vaccines to kill the germs do not work very well. The government has killed over 125,000 farm animals, hoping to keep the disease from spreading. Many more animals could be killed before the epidemic there is over. An epidemic is an outbreak of a disease that spreads quickly and widely.