foot-and-mouth disease

foot–and–mouth disease

noun

Definition of FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

: an acute contagious febrile disease especially of cloven-hoofed animals that is caused by any of seven serotypes of a picornavirus (species Foot-and-mouth disease virus of the genus Aphthovirus) and is marked by ulcerating vesicles in the mouth, about the hooves, and on the udder and teats—called also aftosa, aphthous fever, foot-and-mouth, hoof-and-mouth disease; compare hand, foot and mouth disease