Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV)
VSV is a member of the family Rhabdoviridae, genus Vesiculovirus. The genus contains approximately 35 serologically distinct viruses, most importantly Vesicular Stomatitis-Indiana Virus and Vesicular Stomatitis-New Jersey Virus, as well as six other viruses that are known to cause vesicular disease in horses, cattle, swine, and humans.
The rhabdovirus virions are 70 nm in diameter and 170 nm long (although some are longer or shorter) and consist of an envelope with large peplomers within which is a helically coiled cylindrical nucleocapsid. The precise cylindrical form of the nucleocapsid is what gives the viruses their distinctive bullet or conical shape. The genome is a single linear, negative-sense molecule of ssRNA and is about 11-15 kb in size. Virus replication is restricted to the cytoplasm of the cell. Incubation period is up to 21 days. VSV causes rapid cytopathology.
Rhabdovirus infectivity is rather stable in the environment, especially when the pH is alkaline, but the virus is thermolabile and sensitive to the UV irradiation and sunlight. In clinical practice VSV is inactivated easily by detergent-based disinfectants.
Vesicular stomatitis (VS) is a vesicular disease of horses, cattle and pigs that is indistinguishable from FMD or SVD. Sheep, goats and many other wild species can also be infected. Humans are also susceptible. Although the infection is transmitted directly by the transcutaneous or transmucosal route, VSV has been isolated from sandflies and mosquitoes, suggesting that it could be insect-borne. There is, therefore, seasonal variation in the occurrence of VS: it disappears at the end of the rainy season in tropical areas, and at the first frosts in temperate zones. There is also some evidence that VSV could be a plant virus and the animals are the end of the epidemiological chain. The pathogenesis of the disease is unclear, and it has been observed that the humoral-specific antibodies do not prevent infection with VSV.
The disease is limited to North and South America; however, it has been described in France and in South Africa. Epidemic occur annually or at intervals of 2 to 3 years in tropical and subtropical countries and at intervals of 5 to 10 years in temperate zones.
VS is classified as an OIE List A disease.
More information about CSFV can be obtained:
[ CSFV |
ASFV |
PRRSV |
ADV |
PPV |
SVDV |
FMDV |
VSV ]
