Clinical signs of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle

A range of clinical signs may indicate the presence of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in cattle.

Steer with FMD tongue lesions. © UK DEFRA.

Typical clinical signs of FMD in cattle include:

Vesicles develop on the buccal and nasal mucous membranes and/or between the claws and coronary band. These may lead to:

Vesicles frequently also develop on the mammary glands.

Vesicles rupture, leaving erosions 24 hours later.

Cattle generally recover from FMD within 8–15 days, but complications may include:

Young animals may die from viral myocarditis.

Steer's tongue with 1-day-old vesicle that ruptured when tongue was drawn from mouth.

Steer with 2-day-old ruptured vesicles on tongue, lower gum and lower lip. Note sharp edges to ulcerated areas.

Steer's mouth with 2-day-old lesions. Note sharp margins of lesions and red raw appearance of exposed dermis.

Steer's tongue with 4-day-old lesions. Note progressive loss of lesion margination and extensive fibrin infilling.

Heel bulbs of steer’s foot with unruptured 2-day-old vesicles.

Steer's foot with 7-day-old inter-digital lesion.

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