The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) received confirmation of 14 new cases of Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) in both horses and cows in South and Central Texas. Twelve new premises are located in Bastrop County, one new premises is in Travis County and one new premises is located in Val Verde County. Two cases of VS have been detected in bovine in Bastrop County.
To date, 35 premises in nine Texas counties have been confirmed with VS. Affected counties include(d): Kinney, Hidalgo, San Patricio, Nueces, Jim Wells, Bastrop, Travis, Guadalupe and Val Verde counties. Six premises have been released from quarantine: 1 in Kinney county, 2 in Nueces county, 2 in San Patricio county and 1 in Hidalgo county
The newly identified infected premises are currently under quarantine by the TAHC. Affected horses and cattle will be monitored by regulatory veterinarians while under quarantine. Premises are eligible for quarantine release 21 days after all lesions have healed.
According to TAHC, Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease that primarily affects horses and cattle. VS also can affect sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, swine, deer and some other species, including bobcats,raccoons and monkeys. Humans can also become infected with the disease when handling affected animals, but this is a rare event.
VS normally has an incubation period of two to eight 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. Infected animals also can spread the virus when their saliva or the fluid from ruptured blisters contaminates feed, water or hay shared with herd mates. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
