The transmission of foot-and-mouth disease to humans is difficult to happen, however when the person has a compromised immune system and consumes milk or meat from contaminated animals or comes into contact with urine, blood or secretions of these animals, the virus can cause infection.
As foot-and-mouth disease in humans is uncommon, there is still no well-established treatment, and the use of medications to treat symptoms is usually indicated, such as Paracetamol, for example, which works by reducing pain and lowering fever.
How the transmission happens
Transmission of the virus responsible for foot-and-mouth disease to humans is rare, but it can happen through the ingestion of milk or meat from contaminated animals, without any type of food processing having been carried out. The foot-and-mouth virus usually only causes infection in humans when the immune system is compromised, since under normal conditions, the body is able to fight the virus.
Eating the meat of an animal infected with foot-and-mouth disease is not ideal, but it can rarely cause foot-and-mouth disease in humans, especially if the meat has been previously frozen or processed. Learn how to avoid contamination.
In addition, the transmission of foot-and-mouth disease can also occur when the person has an open wound on the skin and this wound comes into contact with the infected animal's secretions, such as feces, urine, blood, phlegm, sneeze, milk or semen.
Treatment for foot-and-mouth disease
The treatment for foot-and-mouth disease in humans is not specific, and it is usually recommended to treat the symptoms using medications to relieve pain and lower the fever, such as Paracetamol, which should be used every 8 hours.
In addition to medications, it is recommended to clean the wounds properly with soap and water and applying a healing ointment can be useful and facilitate healing. The disease course lasts an average of 15 days, with complete remission of symptoms after this period.
Foot-and-mouth disease does not spread from person to person, so isolation is not necessary, and objects can be shared without being contaminated. But the infected individual may come to infect other animals, and for this reason one must keep a distance from them, because in them the disease can be potentially serious. Learn more about foot-and-mouth disease.
