Risk Of Foot And Mouth Disease For Humans

There are no recorded cases of humans catching Foot and Mouth Disease from eating meat.

Foot and Mouth disease is extremely rare in humans. There has been only one confirmed case - in Great Britain in 1966. The general effects of the disease in that case were similar to influenza with some blisters.

Investigations are now under way into suspected cases of Foot and Mouth in a small number of people in Great Britain, arising from the current outbreak.

There has never been a case of Foot and Mouth Disease in New Zealand - in neither people nor animals. Hand foot and mouth disease is an unrelated disease of humans.

Page last updated: 7 August 2008