Vesicular stomatitis found in New Mexico horses

Two horses have been diagnosed with vesicular stomatitis in New Mexico. Vesicular stomatitis is a sporadically occurring virus endemic to the US. The New Mexico Livestock Board said it was working with federal authorities to limit the spread of the disease. It is the first detection of active virus for the disease in the US since June 2010. Veterinary Services of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) at the US Department of Agriculture confirmed the cases on a horse ranch outside Tularosa, in Otero County. Two horses from the affected premises were sampled on April 18, after vesicular lesions were observed on both animals. The samples were sent to Veterinary Services’ National Veterinary Services Laboratories for confirmation and one of the lesioned horses met the official index case definition for the virus. Testing was completed and confirmed the virus as New Jersey serotype. In co-operation with the New Mexico Livestock Board, APHIS has started an investigation and the property is currently under quarantine. Three other unaffected horses at the property have been isolated from the positive animals...more