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Vesicular Exanthema

Last reviewed July 2005

Australian situation

Vesicular exanthema has never occurred in Australia.

For general information on managing animal health in Australia, please consult the latest edition of 'Animal Health in Australia'.

This disease is nationally notifiable in Australia. Please consult the National Notifiable Disease List for further information.

An 'AUSVETPLAN Disease Strategy Manual' outlining control measures to be taken in the event of an outbreak of this disease is available in the AUSVETPLAN section of this website.

Disease summary

Vesicular exanthema is a viral disease of pigs.

Vesicular exanthema first appeared in California, USA in 1932. It was subsequently eradicated from the United States, with the last recorded outbreaks in 1956 and official declaration of freedom in 1959. Its only occurrence in another country was a small outbreak in Iceland in 1955.

Vesicular exanthema is closely related to caliciviruses found in marine animals and some terrestrial species of mammals and because of this it has the potential to reappear as a disease in pigs. Marine caliciviruses have been identified along the Pacific seaboard of North America from southern California to Alaska.