Foot-and-mouth disease

Foot-and-mouth disease is a viral infection with specific damage of mucous membrane of mouth, lips, nose, skin, interdigital folds. The pathogen is a filtering RNA containing virus of spheric form which is kept in the environment.

With foot-and-mouth disease get diseased cloven-hoofed animals (great and small cattle, pigs, sheep). In diseased animals virus is released with saliva, milk, urine, animal manures. Sensitivity of man to foot-and-mouth disease is small. Way of transmission are contact and alimentary. The disease is not transmitted from human to human.

Symptoms and course
Incubation period lasts 5 – 10 days. The foot-and-mouth disease starts with chill, high temperature, headache, acute pains in muscles and loins, weakness, loss of appetite. In 2 – 3 days appears dry mouth, photophobia, salivation, painfullness during urination. On red mucous membrane of mouth appears big number of small bubbles of millet size filled with turbid yellow liquid which in 24 hours get broken and thus sores are formed.

After opening of sores, temperature lowers. It becomes hard to speak, salivation is increased. In most patients vesicles (bubbles) may appear on skin on phalanges of hands and legs, interdigital folds. It is followed by burning sensation, creeping, itching. In most cases nails come out. Sores on mucous membrane of mouth, lips, tongue goes away in 3 – 5 days and repairs leaving no scars. Are possible new rash that delays recovery for several months. Often in children is detected gastroenteritis.

Complications
Appearing of secondary infection leads to pneumonia and sepsis.

Treatment
Hospitalization for 14 days. There is no causal treatment. Special attention is payed for care about patient, diet (spoon food, split meals). Topical treatment includes 3% solution of hydric dioxide, 0.1% rivanol, 0.1% potassium hypermanganate. For erosions is used 2.5% solution of argentic nitrate. In severe cases is recommended injection of immune serum and taking tetracycline and laevomycetin.

Preventive Measures
Veterinary supervision over animals and products animals give. Respecting sanitary and hygiene norms.