Blisters form around the coronary band at the top of the hoof and in the mouth, eventually bursting. Signs of infection are lameness, fever and drooling. Infected animals will smack their lips as well. Animals are infectious as soon as they show clinical signs.
People can carry the disease on their clothes or shoes.
Foot and mouth also can be spread in the air. There is no human health risk involved with foot and mouth disease. Hand and mouth disease, found in young children, is not related. The disease's incubation period is two to eight days, depending on animal species. It takes two to three weeks to clear foot and mouth from an area once the disease is quarantined and can no longer spread.