First case of VSV in Colorado; Delta County horse tests positive

LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Colorado has become the fifth state in the country to have a confirmed case of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). A six-year-old horse in Delta County tested positive for the disease, and the premise has been placed under quarantine.

“VSV is not a human health issue, but it can have severe economic impact on livestock owners, especially in the dairy industry,” said Wayne Cunningham, state veterinarian at the Colorado Department of Agriculture. “The disease usually doesn’t result in an animal’s death, but the main reason we watch it closely is due to fact that the symptoms closely resemble foot-and-mouth disease, which is much more economically devastating.”

In 2004, 148 horses, 119 cattle, four sheep and goats, and two alpacas were infected with the disease, involving a total of 107 premises across the Colorado.

Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease that is usually not fatal but causes painful lesions around an infected animal’s mouth, nostrils, teats and hooves, symptoms similar to foot-and-mouth disease. Only laboratory tests can differentiate the diseases. All disease samples from Colorado were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, for testing.

VSV primarily affects cattle, horses, and swine. These blisters enlarge and break, leaving raw tissue that is so painful infected animals generally refuse to eat or drink and show signs of lameness. Severe weight loss usually follows.

Since the disease is believed to be spread by insects, preventative measures include keeping susceptible animals in dry corrals and stables, using insecticides and insect repellents daily, providing good nutrition and practicing best management techniques.

Prior to 2004, the last case of VSV in Colorado was diagnosed in 1998. Although vulnerable, humans are rarely infected with the disease and usually display flu-like symptoms. In addition to livestock, other susceptible animals include llamas, goats and wild animals such as deer, bobcats and raccoons. For more information on VSV, visit our Web site at www.ag.state.co.us .