Vesicular stomatitis

The vesicular stomatitis ( "bubbles inflammation of the oral mucosa") or Vesikulärstomatitis is a mild running viral disease in ungulates (especially horses , mules , cattle , rare pigs ). The disease was first observed in South Africa towards the end of the 19th century and is now more common in America, especially in the Caribbean . The disease is particularly due to its transferability to humans ( zoonosis ) and its similarity with the foot and mouth disease(FMD) is important and is therefore one of the notifiable animal diseases . In Europe, apart from a local occurrence in Kosovo in 1996, it has never occurred.

etiology

VSV

The causative agent of the disease is the Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) from the genus Vesiculovirus of the family Rhabdoviridae . A distinction is made between different species and serotypes of VSV, the type species is Indiana vesiculovirus (VSIV or VSV-IN).

The exact transmission route has not yet been clarified. It is assumed that the spread via direct and indirect contact and insects ( sand flies ), the infection via wounds in the oral mucosa .

Vesicular stomatitis can occur as an epidemic , but it can affect only a few animals.

Classification according to ICD-10
B08.8	Other specified viral infections characterized by skin and mucous membrane lesions
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

Clinical picture

Vesicular stomatitis resembles a mild foot-and-mouth disease in cattle. It manifests itself in the formation of blisters in the oral cavity , which leads to excessive salivation and anorexia , and on the teats , which leads to decreased milk yield and, as a common complication, promotes udder inflammation . The course is usually benign and the disease heals spontaneously within 2 to 3 weeks.

In horses the formation of blisters in the mouth cavity dominates, in pigs the blisters occur mainly on the feet.

In humans, vesicular stomatitis manifests itself with flu-like symptoms (fever, sore throat).

Diagnosis

For the examination, saliva , fluid from the vesicles and mucous membrane samples can be used. Because humans are susceptible to the disease, protective gloves should be worn when taking samples.

A suspected diagnosis can be made by electron microscopic detection of the virus in sample material. The virus antigen can be detected using ELISA , complement fixation and virus neutralization tests .

In the differential diagnosis of cattle and pigs, FMD in particular must be excluded. The vesicles in vesicular stomatitis cannot be differentiated clinically or pathohistologically from those in FMD; horses are not susceptible to FMD. Furthermore, the vesicular rash (pigs, rarely horses) as well as the pig vesicular disease in pigs must be excluded.

Combat

Vesicular stomatitis is a notifiable animal disease in most countries of the world . Therapy is not possible, sick animals are quarantined until they have healed .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Alphabetical index for the ICD-10-WHO version 2019, volume 3. German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI), Cologne, 2019, p. 839

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !