Oral vesicular lesions in horses without evidence of vesicular stomatitis virus infection.
OBJECTIVE
To report clinical and serologic findings in horses with oral vesicular lesions that were consistent with vesicular stomatitis (VS) but apparently were not associated with VS virus (VSV) infection.


METHODS
Serial case study.


METHODS
8 horses.


METHODS
Horses were quarantined after appearance of oral lesions typical of VS. Severity of clinical signs was scored every 2 to 5 days for 3 months. Serum samples were tested for antibodies by use of competitive ELISA (cELISA), capture ELISA for IgM, serum neutralization, and complement fixation (CF). Virus isolation was attempted from swab specimens of active lesions.


RESULTS
2 horses with oral vesicular lesions on day 1 had antibodies (cELISA and CF) against VSV; however, results of CF were negative by day 19. Five of the 6 remaining horses were seronegative but developed oral lesions by day 23. Virus isolation was unsuccessful for all horses.


CONCLUSIONS
Horses were quarantined for 75 days in compliance with state and federal regulations. However, evidence suggests that oral lesions were apparently not associated with VSV infection. The occurrence in livestock of a vesicular disease that is not caused by VSV could confound efforts to improve control of VS in the United States and could impact foreign trade. Vesicular stomatitis is of substantial economic and regulatory concern.
Kim
L
L
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, USA.
Morley
P S
PS
McCluskey
B J
BJ
Mumford
E L
EL
Swenson
S L
SL
Salman
M D
MD
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005881:Gingiva / Q000473:pathology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D009500:Neutralization Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D011790:Quarantine / Q000662:veterinary; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000914:Antibodies, Viral