Animals > Animal Diseases > Foot and Mouth Disease  

Foot and Mouth Disease

Foot and Mouth Disease is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. Elephants, hedgehogs and some rodents are also susceptible to the virus but do not develop clinical signs of the disease. The disease is characterized by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves. Many affected animals recover, but the disease leaves them weakened and debilitated. Horses are not affected.