Transboundary Emerging and Exotic Animal Disease/ Exotic Animal Disease Practice Exam

True or False: African swine fever, classical swine fever, and foot and mouth disease can be clinically distinguished from one another.

1. True

2. False

3. Only with lab tests

4. Depends on the symptoms present

The correct answer is: False

The correct response is that it is false to state that African swine fever, classical swine fever, and foot and mouth disease can be clinically distinguished from one another. While these diseases exhibit certain unique clinical signs, there is substantial overlap in the symptoms that can make accurate clinical differentiation challenging without laboratory testing. African swine fever often presents with high fever, hemorrhagic symptoms, and respiratory distress, while classical swine fever may also show similar signs but is characterized by more distinct neurological symptoms and less severe hemorrhaging. Foot and mouth disease, on the other hand, is primarily recognized by oral lesions, excessive salivation, and lameness due to vesicular lesions on the hooves. The nuanced similarities in clinical presentations can lead to misdiagnosis based on observation alone. Consequently, definitive diagnosis usually requires laboratory tests that can identify specific pathogens responsible for each disease. This emphasizes the importance of diagnostic tests in ensuring accurate disease identification and effective management strategies.