Bovine papular stomatitis


Bovine papular stomatitis is a disease caused by Bovine papular stomatitis virus, of the family Poxviridae and the genus Parapoxvirus. It occurs worldwide in cattle. Symptoms include reddish, raised, sometimes ulcerative lesions on the lips, muzzle, and in the mouth. It usually occurs before the age of two years. Reinfection is possible because of the short duration of immunity. Clinically, the disease is mild, but its importance lies in the need to differentiate it from foot-and-mouth disease. There have been reports of both lesions on the hands of milkers and similar infections in sheep and goats, as well as humans.