Clinical signs:
Clinical signs in cattle start with a decrease in feed intake, lameness, fever and excessive salivation (principally due to difficulty in swallowing because of painful lesions in the mouth).  Cattle tend to slobber and "smack" their lips and milk production is decreased.  

salivate.jpg (26859 bytes)

The vesicles start as small blisters, but then coalesce and produce bullae that rupture easily, leaving an ulcerated epithelial surface.

ulcer.jpg (17976 bytes)

In swine, lameness is usually the first sign, followed by the appearance of snout vesicles which rupture quickly.

fmdlamepig.jpg (18128 bytes)

Vesicles and ulcers develop primarily in areas subjected to trauma – oral mucosa, tongue, interdigital space, snout and teats.

tongue.jpg (25013 bytes)

In lactating animals, lesions on the teats are common and the virus can be transmitted to calves.

teat.jpg (26210 bytes)

Vesicles also appear on the coronary band, at the heel and in the interdigital space.

patacattleuk.jpg (40655 bytes)

Lesions on the tongue heal rapidly through re-epithelialization but lesions on the feet tend to become complicated through secondary infection, delaying the healing process.
FMD Home