Information about the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program 2020
Dr. Jerusha (Jessie) Lay, Assistant Professor of Animal Health
documented that the virus may live in crusts for more than 10 years. Due to this, once infections occur on your farm, you may continue to have outbreaks for years. The virus may also be spread from one animal to another through equipment, feed troughs or direct contact.
Contagious Ecthyma is caused by a virus in the parapoxvirus family. It often affects young animals but may be seen in any age. It may infect sheep, goats or alpacas, but goats seem to have more severe symptoms. Different strains of the virus may also affect how severe the infections are. In 2011, USDA National Animal Health Monitoring System reported the prevalence may be as high as 43.7% on sheep farms in the United States.
The virus is spread through direct contact. Animals will develop lesions and crusts, which fall off, contaminating the environment. It has been documented that the virus may live in crusts for more than 10 years. Due to this, once infections occur on your farm, you may continue to have outbreaks for years. The virus may also be spread from one animal to another through equipment, feed troughs or direct contact.
The virus causes lesions or sores on areas where skin meets the mucous membranes, such as lips, mouth, eyelids and coronary bands of the hooves. However, lesions may also develop on dams' teats, hooves, and rarely on vulva or sheaths. The sores may start as small papules and then progress into blister-like sores, then into scabs. Secondary bacterial lesions may cause pustules or draining wounds. The sores are painful to the animal. Often they will not eat well if the sores are in or around the mouth. For sores on the teat, dams may refuse to let kids nurse, often developing into secondary mastitis. Animals may be lame if infection is on the foot. Lesions often resemble interdigital dermatitis.
As mentioned earlier, sore mouth is caused by a virus. There are no approved antivirals for food animals, so the virus must run its course and should resolve in one to four weeks. Antibiotics may be used as topical or injectable treatments if secondary bacterial infection develops. Consult your herd veterinarian about severe infections.