Foot-and-mouth disease, FMD or hoof-and-mouth disease (Aphtae epizooticae) is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals.
Humans are very rarely affected. Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a picornavirus, the prototypic member of the Aphthovirus genus in the Picornaviridae family. It is a highly variable and transmissible virus.
Humans can be infected with foot-and-mouth disease through contact with infected animals, but this is extremely rare. Some cases were caused by laboratory accidents. Because the virus that causes FMD is sensitive to stomach acid, it cannot spread to humans via consumption of infected meat, except in the mouth before the meat is swallowed.
