US personnel living abroad should not transport meat and meat by-products out of countries where the disease is present. Carnivores and horses are resistant to the disease but can be carriers of the virus. FMD is characterized by blistering lesions, mostly on the feet, tongue, mouth and teats of infected animals.
Most animals recover, but they remain debilitated.
The hedgehog may serve as a reservoir of the disease in nature. Foot and mouth disease is the most feared disease of livestock in the world. It is feared not because of any threat to human health, but because of its effect on a country s agricultural industry and world trade. Countries that report the disease are severely restricted in their ability to export livestock products. FMD is devastating to the agricultural industry due to its effect on the production of milk and meat.