Swine vesicular disease (SVD) is an acute, contagious viral disease of swine caused by the swine vesicular disease virus, an enterovirus

Enterovirus

Enteroviruses are a genus of ssRNA viruses associated with several human and mammalian diseases. Serologic studies have distinguished 66 human enterovirus serotypes on the basis of antibody neutralization tests. Additional antigenic variants have been defined within several of the serotypes on the...

. It is characterized by fever

Fever

Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...

 and vesicles with subsequent ulcers in the mouth

Mouth

The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....

 and on the snout

Snout

The snout, or muzzle, is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw.-Terminology:The term "muzzle", used as a noun, can be ambiguous...

, feet, and teats. The pathogen is relatively resistant to heat, and can persist for a long time in salted, dried, and smoked meat products.

Transmission

The disease can be introduced into a herd by feeding garbage containing infected meat scraps, by bringing in infected animals, or by direct contact with infected feces (such as in an improperly cleaned truck).

Clinical signs

Clinical signs are very similar to those of foot-and-mouth disease

Foot-and-mouth disease

Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids...

 and other vesicular diseases. They are:

• Fever
• Vesicles in the mouth and on the snout and feet
• Lameness and an unsteady gait, shivering and jerking–type leg movements
• Ruptured vesicles can cause ulcers on limbs and feet, and foot pads may be loosened. Young animals are more severely affected. Recovery often occurs within a week. There is no mortality with SWINE VESICULAR DISEASE VIRUS.

Prevention and control

There is no vaccine for SVD. Prevention measures are similar to those for foot-and-mouth disease: controlling animals imported from infected areas, and sanitary disposal of garbage from international aircraft and ships, and thorough cooking of garbage. Infected animals should be placed in strict quarantine. Eradication measures for the disease include quarantining infected areas, depopulation and disposal of infected and contact pigs, and cleaning and disinfecting
contaminated premises.

External links

• http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/svd/index.htm
• http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/fsheet_faq_notice/fs_ahswinevd.html
• http://oie.int/eng/maladies/fiches/a_A030.htm