Foot-and-mouth disease as a zoonosis

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a zoonosis. It may effect humans, but this is extremely rare and does not present a threat to public health. The FMD virus has been isolated and identified in not more than 40 patients during the last century. The incubation period is 2-6 days. Symptoms have mostly been mild, mainly vesicular lesions on the hand, feet and sometimes in the mouth, especially on the tongue and palate. Moreover, the illness could cause malaise with fever, headaches, and sore throat. Human cases have usually recovered within one week after the last blister formation. The transmission of the virus to humans can take place via direct contact with infected animals, inhalation of airborne viral particles or contaminated articles. Person-to-person spread of the disease has not been reported. Persons at risk are mostly involved with direct contact with sick animals, e.g., farmers, veterinary staff and all persons involved in the killing of infected animals. FMD should not be confused with the human disease: hand, foot-and mouth disease. This is a common and usually mild viral infection, principally of children, caused by different viruses, primarily by group A coxackievirus, type 16. The disease is also often confused with infections caused by herpes simplex virus, vesicular stomatitis virus or poxviruses.