Soft tissues under the hoof are often inflamed, and the animal can become lame and may even shed its hooves. Eating becomes painful, and many animals often go off feed, which results in weight loss, declined milk production for dairy cattle and goats, and declined meat production. In some cases, affected animals can suffer from sterility, chronic lameness, aborted pregnancies and chronic mastitis. It also can infect animals through contaminated hay or feedstuffs and if susceptible animals drink from a common water source. The virus can harbor in the human nasal passages for as long as 28 hours.
Wind also can spread the virus through the air.
There is only one recorded case from Britain in 1966, and that person experienced symptoms similar to the flu with some blisters. People can, however, spread the virus to animals because it can persist on contaminated clothing, footwear, and other materials for several weeks, and can harbor in human nasal passages for as long as 28 hours. If the disease grew to be widespread in any country, the economic impact could be severe. The most serious effects would include severe decline in milk from dairy cattle and goats, decline in meat production, possible sterility of animals, chronic lameness and chronic mastitis among affected. If FMD were to occur in the U.S., the degree of economic impact would depend on how quickly the disease was identified and effective control measures put in place.