As of July 8, the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s State Veterinarian’s Office has nine locations in three counties under quarantine after horses residing there tested positive for vesicular stomatitis (VS).

“I encourage horse and other livestock owners, including dairies, to monitor which counties are affected and be vigilant about fly control,” said State Veterinarian Keith Roehr, DVM. “Controlling flies can go a long way in preventing the spread of this virus. Vesicular stomatitis can be painful for animals and costly to their owners. The virus typically causes oral blisters and sores that can be painful causing difficulty in eating and drinking.”

A 2014 outbreak of VS created 556 livestock investigations in Colorado resulting in 370 quarantines with the final quarantines released in January 2015.

A number of species are susceptible to VS, including horses, mules, cattle, bison, sheep, goats, pigs, and camelids. The clinical signs of the disease include vesicles, erosions, and sloughing of the skin on the muzzle, tongue, and teats and above the hooves of susceptible livestock. Vesicles are usually only seen early in the course of the disease