The National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) confirmed a horse in Tillman County, Oklahoma, as the state’s first 2019 positive case of vesicular stomatitis (VS) on July 29. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The mare’s owner noticed lesions on the horse’s mouth on July 24 and had her examined by a veterinarian, who then reported the suspected lesions to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture (ODAFF). An ODAFF veterinarian submitted samples to NVSL. The horse was placed under official quarantine.

Animal health authorities have confirmed other cases of VS in Coleman, Kerr, Kinney, and Tom Green counties in Texas; La Plata, Larimer, and Weld counties in Colorado; and Los Alamos, Sandoval, and Valencia counties in New Mexico.

VS 101

Vesicular stomatitis virus can cause blisters and sores in the mouth and on the tongue, muzzle, teats, or hooves of horses, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, llamas and a number of other animals. Lesions usually heal in two or three weeks