About Foot and Mouth Disease Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an animal health problem. It does not affect humans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its partners - including the beef industry - are using aggressive prevention measures and surveillance to keep FMD out of the United States. There has not been a case of FMD in the United States since 1929. While FMD is not a concern for human health, it can cause severe problems for animals with cloven (divided) hooves, such as cattle, pig, sheep, goats and deer, as once it's contracted, the disease can spread rapidly. Recent Industry Actions In October 2007, the beef industry hosted the first-ever FMD Summit that brought together representatives from organizations and institutions that will be on the front lines during an outbreak. The "FMD Summit Executive Summary: Prevention, Detection, Response Recovery," (PDF file) reports on the open dialogue about preparedness that occured amoung the diverse participants at this landmark event and serves as a road map for moving forward.