What is Vesicular Stomatitis (VS)?
Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease that primarily affects horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, and swine. This disease also occasionally affects sheep and goats. Many species of wild animals, including deer, bobcats, goats, raccoons, and monkeys, have been found to be susceptible hosts. Symptoms are usually evident in 2 to 8 days after infection. Symptoms will include; excessive salivation as the first sign. Body temperature may rise immediately before or at the same time that blister-like lesions first appear in the mouth and dental pad, tongue, lips, nostrils, hooves, and teats. These blisters swell and break, leaving raw tissue that is so painful that infected animals generally refuse to eat or drink and show signs of lameness. The virus can spread rapidly in the herd, and up to 90% of the animals may show clinical signs and nearly all develop antibodies. However, the morbidity rate for VS varies considerably within species. If there are no complications such as secondary infections
