There has been much recent coverage of the human victims of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain, but Quidnunc can now reveal that one of our most distinguished public servants suffered a severe attack in Africa some years ago. Niall Crowley, chief executive of the Equality Authority, was hit by FMD while involved in overseas aid work in Mozambique in the 1980s. His hands and feet were covered in blisters and lesions and his mouth was so sore he could take nourishment only through a straw. Although FMD is rampant in southern Africa, Crowley's condition was rare enough to warrant a medical paper at the time. He shows no ill effects.