Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a devastating illness that impacts cloven-hoofed animals like cows and pigs. It was eradicated in the United States in 1929, and, thanks to strict prevention measures, there has not been another FMD case since. However, because the Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) spreads so quickly and remains endemic elsewhere in the world, it would be extremely easy for an outbreak to happen here, says UConn Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science Associate Professor Steven Szczepanek '09 Ph.D.