Vesicular stomatitis is caused by a virus of the family Rhabdoviridae that primarily affects the mouths and feet of horses and cattle, causing blisters and sores. It is transmitted by black flies and biting midges and has an incubation period of 2-8 days. The lesions are initially small blisters that rupture, leaving raw erosions and making eating painful. The disease cannot be distinguished from foot-and-mouth disease without laboratory tests.

1. VESICULAR STOMATITIS
The causative virus is a vesiculovirus (family Rhabdoviridae).
The first major occurrence of the disease or ' sore tongue' in
horses, cattle.
The reservoir host is unknown. However, biological
transmission by blood-feeding Insects.
The virus can be biologically transmitted by black flie
(Simulium vittatum) and mechanically by Culicoides spp. flies
(Musca domestica, and (M. autumnalis

2. The incubation period ranges from 2 to 8 days.
The virus circulates in the blood for a short period
and then blisters develop, primarily in the oral
mucosa but foot and teat lesions also occur.
Excessive salivation is often the first sign of
disease. Initially, the lesions appear as a
blanched, flattened bump or blister.
These vesicles rupture leaving raw erosions that
are painful and prevent

3. the animal from eating. Lameness occurs
when the feet are affected. The lesions
cover a large part of the tongue, dental
pad, or lining of the cheek.
These lesions cannot be distinguished from
FMD

4. PATHOGENESIS
• Local infection of the mucous membrane of the mouth
and the skin around the mouth and coronets is followed
by the development of vesicles on the lips, muzzle,
tongue, and also on the teats and interdigital clefts. The
frequent absence of classical vesicles on the oral
mucosa of affected animals in field outbreaks has led to
careful examination of the pathogenesis of the mucosal
lesions. Even in experimentally produced cases, only
30% of lesions develop as vesicles; the remainder
dehydrate development and terminate by eroding as a
dry necrotic lesion.

5. Differential Diagnosis
• location of lesions, age and species of
animals affected, and the presence or
absence of systemic disease.
• Definitive diagnosis is made by antibody
tests, and by virus isolation.

6. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
• Because of its case-for-case similarity to FMD, prompt and accurate
diagnosis of the disease is essential. In most countries the disease
is notifiable.
• All species
• • FMD and other vesicular diseases.
• Cattle
• • Bovine virus diarrhea
• • Bovine malignant catarrh
• • Pseudo cowpox.
• Horses
• • Blister beetle toxicosis
• • Bullous phemigoid
• • Phenylbutazone toxicity
• • Grass seed awns.

7. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
• Because of its case-for-case similarity to FMD, prompt and accurate
diagnosis of the disease is essential. In most countries the disease
is notifiable.
• All species
• • FMD and other vesicular diseases.
• Cattle
• • Bovine virus diarrhea
• • Bovine malignant catarrh
• • Pseudo cowpox.
• Horses
• • Blister beetle toxicosis
• • Bullous phemigoid
• • Phenylbutazone toxicity
• • Grass seed awns.