Which statement best differentiates Vesicular Stomatitis from Foot-and-Mouth Disease?

Which statement best differentiates Vesicular Stomatitis from Foot-and-Mouth Disease?

• A. It has the same hosts as FMD and requires vaccines
• B. Domestic animals not primary hosts; vector-borne; no vaccines; ecological conditions; infects many wild animals; affects horses & humans; hard to eradicate
• C. It is a plant virus
• D. It affects only pigs and cattle and is easily eradicated

Answer: (B)

Vesicular Stomatitis differs from Foot-and-Mouth Disease in how it behaves in the real world, including which animals it hits, how it spreads, and how it’s controlled. Vesicular Stomatitis is not limited to domestic livestock; it has a wide host range that includes many wild animals and can even affect horses and humans. Its spread is strongly linked to insect vectors, and control is complicated by wildlife reservoirs and environmental conditions. Vaccines for vesicular stomatitis are not routinely used, so the disease relies more on surveillance and vector/ecosystem management, which makes eradicating it difficult. This combination of a broad, wildlife-inclusive host range, vector transmission, zoonotic potential, and lack of practical vaccination explains why that statement best differentiates Vesicular Stomatitis from Foot-and-Mouth Disease. The other options either misstate the host range, the transmission mode, the existence or practicality of vaccines, or the species affected.

Vesicular Stomatitis differs from Foot-and-Mouth Disease in how it behaves in the real world, including which animals it hits, how it spreads, and how it’s controlled. Vesicular Stomatitis is not limited to domestic livestock; it has a wide host range that includes many wild animals and can even affect horses and humans. Its spread is strongly linked to insect vectors, and control is complicated by wildlife reservoirs and environmental conditions. Vaccines for vesicular stomatitis are not routinely used, so the disease relies more on surveillance and vector/ecosystem management, which makes eradicating it difficult.

This combination of a broad, wildlife-inclusive host range, vector transmission, zoonotic potential, and lack of practical vaccination explains why that statement best differentiates Vesicular Stomatitis from Foot-and-Mouth Disease. The other options either misstate the host range, the transmission mode, the existence or practicality of vaccines, or the species affected.