FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE 377 



Symptoms. — Swinepox affects usually young pigs. It is 

 characterized by a pox eruption involving most of the body. 

 The initial sjonptoms are those of fever, languor, loss of appe- 

 tite, labored gait, and catarrhal symptoms such as conjuncti- 

 vitis. The eruption usually occurs about the snout, eyelids, 

 inner surface of the thighs and over the abdomen. The 

 parts of the skin well covered with bristles are not usually 

 involved. The eruption at first consists of small, red spots 

 which become papules and in about three days pea-sized 

 vesicles which rapidly turn to pustules to be followed by dark- 

 brown scabs which are thrown off to leave pits. 



Diagnosis. — ^The diagnosis depends upon the rapid develop- 

 ment of the typical pox lesions in the skin. In doubtful 

 cases inoculations may be made. Swinepox should not be 

 confused with eczema or the skin eruption which sometimes 

 accompanies hog-cholera. From squamous eczema ( "soot" of 

 young pigs) it is readily distinguished by the brown or black 

 crusts which form in this disease. 



Prophylaxis. — The prophylaxis consists in protective vac- 

 cination as in sheep-pox. 



FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 



Definition. — ^Foot-and-mouth disease is a very contagious 

 disorder of cloven-hoofed animals, due to an ultramicroscopic 

 organism and characterized by the formation of vesicles which 

 occur on the mucous membranes and skin. The mouth, the 

 interdigital space and the teats and udder are most often 

 affected. 



Occurrence. — ^The disease has been an occasional visitor to 

 the United States. In 1870 foot-and-mouth disease spread 

 from Canada into New England and New York; in 1884 

 there was a limited outbreak in Portland, Maine; in 1902 

 again in New England, in the states of Connecticut, Rhode 

 Island, Massachusetts and Vermont; in 1908 it was intro- 

 duced through contaminated smallpox vaccine into New 

 York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Maryland; in' 1914 the 

 most widespread outbreak in the history of the country 

 occurred. Within three months the disease spread from the 



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