INCIDENCE OF 

 VESICULAR STOMATITIS 



Confirmed by Laboratory 



PREMISES 



1960 



10 - 



^^■■- Porcine JSS^ 



••••■•■ Equine ^^ ^W 



J I I I r I >L 



J L 



M J J 



MONTH 



plains areas of Georgia, Louisiana, North Caro- 

 lina, and South Carolina. Sporadic outbreaks 

 occur in other States. 



The clinical similarity between VS, foot-and- 

 mouth disease, and vesicular exanthema makes 

 early diagnosis essential. Laboratory tests, ani- 

 mal-inoculation tests, or both, are necessary for 

 a positive diagnosis. 



It is difficult to maintain interest in report- 

 ing vesicular conditions in the VS-endemic 

 areas. Livestock owners and practicing veteri- 

 narians become so accustomed to seeing lesions 

 that an apathy toward reporting develops. 

 There is danger, therefore, that either foot-and- 

 mouth disease or vesicular exanthema will not 

 be reported immediately if it should appear in 

 a VS-endemic area and its spread would be 

 uncontrolled. A continuing campaign to em- 



phasize the necessity of early reporting of all 

 vesicular lesions is essential. 



Vesicular exanthema 



\'esicular exanthema (VE) is a disease of 

 swine characterized by formation of vesicles in 

 the mouth and on the snout and feet. The teats 

 and udders of sows may also be affected. Clini- 

 cally, VE cannot be distinguished from foot- 

 and-mouth disease and vesicular stomatitis. 

 VE, which had not been previously diagnosed 

 in any other part of the world, first appeared 

 in California in 1932, where it remained con- 

 fined for 20 years. In 1952 and 1953, the dis- 

 ease spread to 42 States and the District of 

 Columbia. The first appearance of the disease 

 outside the State of California was at a gar- 

 bage-feeding premise in Wyoming. Sixty days 

 prior to the outbreak the owner started feeding 

 raw garbage from trains originating in Cali- 

 fornia. 



The time-tried eradication measures of in- 

 spection, prompt reporting, diagnosis, slaugh- 

 ter, cleaning and disinfecting, and testing of 

 premises, together with cooking of garbage, 

 made possible the eradication of VE. Its com- 

 plete eradication from the United States was 

 announced by the Secretary of Agriculture in 

 October 1959. 



Present program 



With the announcement of the eradication of 

 VE came immediate requests for cessation of 

 inspection of garbage-feeding premises and 

 garbage-fed swine. The knowledge gained 

 during the eradication program, however, 

 clearly indicates the importance of garbage 

 cooking to control swine diseases. In most 

 areas, regular periodic (but less frequent) in- 

 spections of garbage-feeding premises and gar- 

 bage-fed swine are being maintained. 



Search for a laboratory test 



When VE was eradicated, it became a dis- 

 ease foreign to the United States. Re.search 

 within the continental limits was discontinued 

 and all VE virus was either destroyed or 

 shipped to the Plum Island Laboratory. Re- 

 search at Plum Island will continue in an ef- 

 fort to develop a laboratory test for VE and 



28 



