What are the symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle and sheep, and what drugs are good for its prevention and treatment?

Foot-and-mouth disease in cattle and sheep is an acute, febrile, highly contagious infectious disease caused by the foot-and-mouth disease virus. It can occur in all four seasons, but is most prone to epidemics in spring and autumn.So what are the manifestations of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle and sheep? What drugs are good? How to prevent and control it?

What are the manifestations of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle and sheep?

1. Foot-and-mouth disease in cattle and sheep mainly manifests as blisters and eroded patches on the oral mucosa, hooves, and teat skin. Normally, epidemic prevention measures should be strengthened; after an outbreak occurs, it should be reported as early as possible, with strict isolation, blockade of the epidemic area, and joint prevention and blocking of the epidemic in accordance with the principle of “early, fast, strict, and small.” Mild cases are suitable for local surgical treatment, while severe cases require antiserum to neutralize toxins and cardiac stimulants plus fluid replacement.

2. After cattle and sheep are infected with foot-and-mouth disease, it generally takes 2 to 8 days before onset, with the longest being 14 days. During the stage when the virus enters the blood, the body temperature of the sick animal rises to 40°C to 41°C, with depression and reduced appetite, followed by the appearance of blisters the size of peas or even broad beans on the oral mucosa and the skin between the toes and on the teats; afterward the blisters merge with one another, forming large areas of ruptured blisters. The sick animal drools large amounts of saliva, and a sucking sound can be heard when it opens its mouth. At the same time as oral ulceration, the skin between the toes and on the coronary band shows heat, pain, and swelling, and after 1 to 2 days blisters appear, forming eroded patches after rupture. When all four limbs are affected simultaneously, the sick animal shows alternating weight-bearing, frequently shakes the hind limbs, and walks with a limp; in severe cases, it lies down for long periods and has difficulty standing up. If infection with pus or necrosis occurs, the hoof capsule may fall off, and necrosis of the pedal bone may appear.

What drugs are good for foot-and-mouth disease in cattle and sheep? How to prevent and control it?

1. Preventive inoculation. In areas where foot-and-mouth disease has occurred in past years, all cattle and sheep should receive regular preventive inoculation every year. Cattle and sheep develop immunity 14 days after inoculation with attenuated foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, and the immune period can reach 4 to 6 months. If foot-and-mouth disease has already occurred, diseased material should promptly be collected and sent for testing to determine the nature of the disease, while immediately reporting it upward and notifying neighboring units to organize joint prevention and control. The epidemic area should be demarcated, strictly blockaded, and eradicated on the spot as early as possible.

2. Isolation and treatment. Sick animals and suspected sick animals must be isolated and treated. They should be cared for by specially assigned personnel and raised and managed at a designated location. Cattle and sheep that have not developed the disease should receive preventive inoculation. For oral lesions, they can be washed with clean water, saline, or 0.1% potassium permanganate solution, then coated with 1% to 2% alum solution or iodine glycerin, and traditional Chinese medicine Bingpeng San can also be applied to the oral lesions. For hoof lesions, they can first be washed with 3% Lysol, then coated with gentian violet solution, penicillin ointment, etc., and bandaged. Sites and tools contaminated by sick animals must be disinfected with 2% sodium hydroxide solution or 10% limewater; the carcasses of diseased animals must not be eaten, and hides and hair should be soaked and disinfected with 2% sodium hydroxide solution. The feces of sick animals may be used only after fermentation. Sites where sick animals have grazed may allow healthy livestock to enter only after 2 months. After the last sick animal is cured or dies, and no new cases appear for 14 days, the blockade may be lifted only after thorough disinfection.