Some participants noted possible syncytia in depleted lymphoid aggregates. The differential diagnosis for erosive glossitis includes bovine virus diarrhea, malignant catarrhal fever, and, in goats and sheep, peste des petits ruminants. Other morbilliviruses include canine distemper virus, measles virus, phocine distemper virus, and dolphin morbillivirus. Unlike rinderpest and peste des petits ruminants, the other morbilliviruses cause prominent respiratory tract lesions. All cloven-hoofed animals, including swine, are probably susceptible to infection with the rinderpest virus.
Natural infection occurs primarily via inhalation.
Large numbers of viral particles are shed in the feces. Initial replication occurs in the tonsils and regional lymph nodes, with subsequent viremia and spread to other lymphoid organs and the gastrointestinal and respiratory mucosae. As in this case, the tropism for lymphoreticular tissues such as Peyer's patches and colonic lymphoid aggregates is often associated with erosive lesions of the overlying mucosa. Properly vaccinated animals and those that survive natural infection typically have life-long immunity. P.O. Box 844, Greenport, NY 11944.