Vesicular Stomatitis Update

As of late last week, Colorado currently has 65 locations in 15 counties under quarantine after horses, mules and cattle herds tested positive for Vesicular Stomatitis. The majority of the cases are located within four counties: Larimer, Mesa, and Delta Montrose. Colorado State Veterinarian Dr. Keith Roehr reminds livestock owners that in order to reduce the chances of their animals being infected — insect control is critical.
Roehr: “Visicular Stomatitis is not very contagious from horse to horse or directly from cattle. So it doesn’t spread arisol. It does’t spread very often through indirect contact. Flies and gnats are the main means of spread. So fly control for the rest of summer is very important. So manure management, adult fly sprays, and then just managing flies in the facilities where they are at is really important. One of the things of the report last year revealed was livestock out in pasture — almost 60 percent of the cases were in those cattle and horses. So that seems to be a significant risk factor.”
Livestock owners who suspect an animal may have VS or any other visceral disease should immediately contact their local veterinarian.
To monitor any new cases you can go to colorado.gov/aganimals