Does foot-and-mouth disease in cattle cause illness in humans?

Answer: Human risk from cattle foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)

• No—foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) of cattle does not cause illness in humans; it is not a human health threat, and concern is for animal health and trade, not human morbidity, mortality, or quality of life. 1, 2

Key points and rationale

• Highest-quality, most recent evidence: 2025 review/modeling explicitly states FMD “is not dangerous to humans,” underscoring negligible human morbidity/mortality/QoL impact from cattle FMD outbreaks 1.
• Consistent prior evidence: Classic review notes FMD of cattle is not zoonotic; do not confuse with human hand-foot-and-mouth disease, which is a different illness caused by human enteroviruses (e.g., Coxsackie/EV71) 2, 3.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Do not confuse:
  • Foot-and-mouth disease in livestock (FMDV; not a human disease) 1, 2
  • Hand-foot-and-mouth disease in humans (enteroviruses; usually mild in children) 3, 4
• Public health measures at fairs/zoos target other zoonoses (e.g., Q fever, Salmonella) and hygiene, not FMD risk to humans 5.