Animal Diseases

[tony27437]

What is"foot and mouth" disease and how is it caused?

[sabrinah]

It's a viral disease, endemic to most parts of the world, but controlled in the UK, until the recent cases, through vaccination. It's highly infectious, it can even be transmitted through dust particles in the air and can prove fatal in pigs, cattle sheep and goats. The symptoms are blistering of the mouth and hooves (hence its common name), cuing lameness and appetite loss.

[artisan]

I think it was believed to be caused by sheep eating the remains of dead cows.