Vesicular stomatitis: how to spot and report the disease

Vesicular stomatitis affects:

• cattle
• pigs
• horses
• donkeys

It can also affect sheep and goats, but they are more resistant to it.

It doesn’t affect humans.

Clinical signs

The signs of vesicular stomatitis are very similar to foot and mouth disease (FMD). The only way to confirm the disease is by laboratory testing.

The main signs of vesicular stomatitis are:

• fever
• blisters on feet, snout, lips, tongue and inside the mouth
• lameness
• increased production of spit

How vesicular stomatitis is spread

The disease is spread by certain types of biting flies and by direct contact with infected animals.

Human health implications

There are no human health implications because the disease is not zoonotic.

How to control the disease

An outbreak will be controlled in line with the contingency framework for exotic notifiable animal diseases.

Legislation

Vesicular stomatitis is covered by the Specified Diseases (Notification and Slaughter) Order 1992 and the Specified Diseases (Notification) Order 1996.

Vesicular stomatitis is also covered by EU Council Directive 92/119.

Biosecurity

Biosecurity is about being aware of the ways disease can spread and taking every practical measure to minimise the risk of disease spreading. The advice details practical things you can do on your farm to help prevent the introduction and spread of vesicular stomatitis to and from your animals.