By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
Texas animal health officials reported 16 additional vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) during the past week. All cases of VSV had been found on equine premises until July 30, 2019 when the first case of VSV was confirmed in cattle in Gonzales County.
An additional 65 suspect cases were also identified.
The Texas Animal Health Commission reports the newly confirmed and suspect premises are under quarantine.
To date, 114 premises in 27 Texas counties have been quarantined for VSV. Currently affected counties include: Bastrop, Brown, Caldwell, Coleman, Eastland, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hays, Hood, Lampasas, Mason, McLennan, Mills, Palo Pinto, Parker, San Saba, Shackelford, Somervell, Taylor, Travis, and Williamson counties. Of the 114 premises quarantined,16 have been released.
The 2019 VSV outbreak began on June 21, 2019, when the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa confirmed the first VSV-positive premises in Kinney County, Texas. New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Oklahoma subsequently broke with cases which were confirmed by NVSL.
VSV is a viral disease that primarily affects horses and cattle. In the past decade, the Southwestern and Western United States have experienced a number of VSV outbreaks.
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Outbreaks usually occur during the warmer months, often along waterways.
VSV normally has an incubation period of 2-8 days before the infected animal develops blisters that swell and burst, leaving painful sores. The virus can be transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or by bloodfeeding insects.
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