CAMERON  VETERINARY

In the summer of 2009, New Mexico again saw horses infected with Vesicular Stomatitis.

Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) is a viral infection of many species. Horses and cattle, both beef and dairy breeds, are quite easily infected. Other livestock species including sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas and wildlife such as deer and elk are susceptible to infection, although less commonly affected than horses and cattle.

VS causes blisters (vesicles) and sores on the animal’s lips and in the mouth, on the coronary bands of the hoof, the mammary glands and external genitalia. These sores are very painful and can cause the infected animal not to eat or drink and can interfere with milking and feeding young.

VS is highly contagious. It can cause severe physical and economic impact to an animal or a herd. VS is impossible to distinguish from Hoof and Mouth Disease, another viral disease, by examination of the animal without laboratory testing. For these reasons VS is considered a “reportable disease,” meaning that the state and federal governments require notification from a veterinarian when infection is suspected

VS is easily transmitted by insects such as flies, by people’s hands, by sharing tack, feeding or watering equipment, and through contact with contaminated surfaces such as gates, stalls and trailers.

An infected animal can quickly lose weight, become dehydrated and/or colicky because of the painful sores on its mouth. It can take weeks for an animal to recover and during this time daily treatment with IV fluids, fluid and food via gastric intubation or slurries or mashes, in addition to pain medication & antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections may be necessary.

VS in a dairy herd can cause cows to not be milked because of sores on the udder. Infection can cause decreases in milk production because animals may stop eating. In a beef herd, VS can negatively impact the weight gain of mature cattle and of nursing calves.

In order to try to control its spread, prevent infection of your animals and avoid the accompanying physical and economic impact, state livestock officials in NM and neighboring states instituted what may seem like very restrictive regulations on the movement of animals. Keep in mind that these restrictions are established in order to prevent the spread of disease in order to keep your animals healthy. The impact of VS was minimal this year, in great part due to the timely and effective action taken by New Mexico Livestock Board veterinary officials.