Halls of the Dark Muse

I'm sorry for laughing but I thought it was funny. Now here's what wikipedia says about foot-and-mouth disease:

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or hoof-and-mouth disease (Aphtae epizooticae) is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic animals such as cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats and pigs, as well as antelope, bison and other wild bovids, and deer. It is caused by foot-and-mouth disease virus.

In addition, hedgehogs [1] and elephants[2] are susceptible to the disease. The llama and alpaca may develop mild symptoms but are resistant to the disease and will not pass it on to others of the same species.[2] In laboratory experiments, mice, rats and chicken have been successfully infected by artificial means, but it is not believed that they would contract the disease under natural conditions. [2] Just as humans may spread the disease by carrying the germs on their clothes and body, animals that are not susceptible to the disease may still aid in spreading it. This was the case in Canada in 1952 when an outbreak flared up again after dogs had carried off bones from dead animals.[2] Wolves are thought to play a similar role in the former Soviet Union.[3]

Now I know you're a pagan, but I seriously doubt you have cloven-hoofed feet. Perhaps my wolf avatar spread the disease to you.

Hehe no, but seriously there is a version of foot and mouth disease that is common in children. I am not making that up. My neice had it. But the people version is really very mild. It is just like having a cold but in addtion you get these little red spots on your hands and fingers.

hehehe, there was an outbreak of foot & mouth at my daughter's nursery once. In UK it's a reportable disease (though they refer to it as hand, foot & mouth, perhaps to distinguish us from cows!). Hope you feel better soon Muse.

I think I might just have a cold, I think the spot on my thumb is just a bug bite or a blood blister, becasue I don't see any others, and I don't know how I could have been exposed to Hoof and Mouth disease

You guys are right:

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a human syndrome caused by intestinal viruses of the Picornaviridae family. The most common strains causing HFMD are Coxsackie A virus and Enterovirus 71 (EV71).[1]

HFMD usually affects infants and children, and is quite common. It is moderately contagious and is spread through direct contact with the mucus, saliva, or feces of an infected person. It typically occurs in small epidemics in nursery schools or kindergartens, usually during the summer and autumn months. The usual incubation period is 3-7 days.

It is extremely uncommon in adults; however, still a possibility. Most adults have strong enough immune systems to defeat the virus, but those with immune deficiencies are very susceptible. HFMD is not to be confused with foot-and-mouth disease (also called hoof-and-mouth disease), which is a disease affecting sheep, cattle, and swine, and which is unrelated to HFMD (but also caused by a member of the Picornaviridae family).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand,_f..._mouth_disease
I've never heard of it.