Vesicular Stomatitis Due to the recent outbreak of the disease known as vesicular stomatitis (VS) in Texas, we wanted to share some information about the disease, what clinical signs to look out for, what treatment options are available, and what parts of Texas the outbreak is affecting. VS is a viral disease that primarily affects horses and cattle. However, it can also affect other species such as pigs, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, deer, raccoons, and humans. VS is endemic, meaning that it occurs naturally, in warmer areas of North America (such as Texas), Central America, and South America. Outbreaks of VS normally occur during the warmer months between May and October. The virus is transmitted from infected animals via two main pathways: direct contact with an infected animal’s saliva/fluid from a ruptured vesicle and blood-feeding insects such as black flies and sand flies that tend to live near moving water. Animals with ruptured vesicles can contaminate feed, hay, or water sources that are shared by multiple other animals on the property, thus making horses that live in a herd environment more susceptible if one horse becomes sick. Clinical signs to watch for in your horses at home include excessive salivation and blanched/raised vesicles (aka blisters) that rupture and become ulcerated sores. These sores are most common on the tongue and lips, at the corners of the mouth, on the gums and nostrils, and can also occur along the coronary band. You may notice that your horse has a loss of appetite or is unable to eat his/her food well due to lesions around the mouth, or you may notice lameness due to lesions around the hooves. If you see any of these signs, please contact your veterinarian immediately and isolate any potentially affected horses away from other animals on your property. VS is a self-limiting disease, meaning that in most cases it will resolve on its own within 10-14 days. Treatment includes supportive care such as stimulating appetite, correcting dehydration, and pain control in the case of painful ulcers around the mouth or hooves. VS IS A REPORTABLE DISEASE, meaning that if your veterinarian is suspicious that your horse might be infected, he or she is legally required to report to the state veterinarian. VS is a reportable disease because its symptoms mimic foot and mouth disease, a much more deadly disease only seen in cattle. A state veterinarian will come to your farm and take blood samples and/or samples from the ulcers themselves for testing. Test results confirming or denying a diagnosis of VS are usually available within 2-3 days. Until test results are available, it is highly recommended to keep any potentially infected animals isolated from other horses on the property and to quarantine your property. If VS is confirmed, the entire facility where the affected individual is stabled must legally be quarantined and the infected individuals should be separated from the healthy ones. The quarantine period lasts until 21 days AFTER the last lesion has healed. Unfortunately, VS does have the potential to infect humans. This very rarely occurs but anyone handling an infected or potentially infected animal should implement proper biosecurity measures such as gloves/gowns/booties/washing hands and all equipment used. Symptoms of infection in humans include flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and headaches that last for up to one week. As of July 29th, the current outbreak has affected both the states of Texas and Colorado. The following website provides weekly updated information as to the current counties affected, which counties have facilities under quarantine, and which counties have facilities now released from quarantine: aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_our_focus%2Fsa_animal_health%2Fsa_animal_disease_information%2Fsa_equine_health%2Fsa_vesicular_stomatitis%2Fct_vesicular_stomatitis Currently, the counties of Bastrop, Guadalupe, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Travis, and Val Verde have facilities under quarantine, and facilities in Kinney, Nueces, and San Patricio have been released from quarantine. For continued updated information, please visit the above linked USDA website. Most importantly, if you have any concerns that an animal on your property might be affected, please contact your veterinarian immediately!
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 15:14:27 +0000
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