As of July 15, the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s State Veterinarian’s Office has 19 locations in four counties under quarantine after horses, mules, and one cattle herd 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. Controlling flies can go a long way in preventing the spread of this virus,” said State Veterinarian Keith Roehr, DVM. “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.”

County Number of Currently Quarantined Premises Number of Quarantines Released
Delta 8 –
La Plata 2 –
Montezuma County 4 –
Montrose 5 2

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 se