A Las Animas County, Colo., premises is under quarantine after a horse tested positive for vesicular stomatitis (VS); the horse had not recently traveled and is believed to have been infected by insects.

Notes for Veterinarians

  • Any vesicular disease of livestock is reportable to the State Veterinarian’s Office in Colorado. To report call 303/239-4161. If reporting after-hours, call the same number to obtain the phone number of the staff veterinarian on call.
  • Since VS is a foreign animal disease, any case with clinical signs consistent with VS will warrant an investigation by a state or federal foreign animal disease diagnostician (FADD).
  • When VS is suspected, the FADD will gather the epidemiological information, take the necessary blood samples, collect the necessary fluid or tissue from the lesions, and inform the owners and the referring veterinarian as to necessary biosecurity and movement restrictions.

"While this is the first case diagnosed in Colorado in 2012, there have been several cases identified in the Rio Grande River valley of New Mexico," said Colorado State Veterinarian Keith Roehr, DVM. "This Colorado case represents a northern movement of the virus that has been typical in past years."

In response, the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s (CDA) State Veterinarian’s Office has issued a travel requirement for horse