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1. Introduction
1.1 Swine Vesicular Disease ( SVD) is a notifiable exotic pig disease. It is a transmissible disease that has the potential for serious and rapid spread, irrespective of national borders and would have a negative impact on pig health and welfare and the profitiablity of the pig sector. Any outbreak in the UK would mean that other countries would refuse to accept any exports from the UK. International standards require the elimination of the disease and a country's freedom from SVD is not recognised until this has been achieved.
1.2 The incubation period of the SVD virus is around 2 to 7 days and clinical signs are easily confused with foot-and-mouth disease.
1.3 Transmission occurs via lesions in skin and mucosa, direct contact or indirect contact with excretions from infected pigs. A major source of virus spread is faecal contamination, often within contaminated vehicles.
1.4 Control is achieved through strict quarantine, elimination of infected and contact pigs, prohibition of feeding with catering waste, control of movements of pigs and transport vehicles and thorough disinfection of premises, transport vehicles, and equipment.
1.5 The first outbreak of SVD in Great Britain was in 1972. Over the next ten years 532 cases involving a total of 322,081 pigs were confirmed before the disease was eradicated from this county in 1982. SVD has persisted in Italy, where it is now considered endemic. The rest of Europe is free from the disease apart from one case in Portugal reported in June 2007.
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