Louisiana becomes the latest state to impose enhanced requirements on Texas livestock due to diagnosed cases of Vesicular Stomatitus (VS).
Last week, a case of VS was reported in Nueces County, raising the total number of Texas horses to 10 confirmed cases in four different South Texas counties. Horses and livestock on six sites across the four counties remain under quarantine in what has been the first outbreak of VS in Texas since 2009, according to Southwest Farm Press.
The requirement says that any livestock from a county where VS has been diagnosed within the last 30 days must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection written within 10 days of entry.
VS is a viral infection, causing blisters and sores in the mouth and on the tongue, muzzle, teats or hooves. Lesions typically heal in two or three weeks. Sand flies and black flies likely play a role in the spread of the virus.
Outbreaks of VS are not unusual, not life-threatening, but can spread quickly between animals.