Less than a month after a quarantine was lifted on a horse in West Texas, a new case has been confirmed in East Texas with the same highly contagious virus that mimics foot-and mouth disesase. The Texas Animal Health Commission diagnosed the second case of vesicular stomatitis in Texas October 3rd near Henderson in Rusk County. The quarantined premises extend in a 10-mile radius into portions of Cherokee and Smith Counties.
This comes just as animals converge on the State Fair in Dallas and hundreds of Texas horses head north to the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Ohio, their owners thinking they were leaving a state clear of infection and free of restrictions on their animals.
Barney Costner, director of agricultural livestock at the State Fair of Texas, said no animals coming from the quarantine area would be allowed in. “We will refund entry fees,” he said. “All health papers must be in order; the animals must have health certificates issued within 14 days of arrival at the Fair; and their certificate must show the animal was inspected by a vet and confirm that the animal has not come from quarantine areas in other states or in Texas. They also will be visually inspected upon arrival to guard against the spread of this disease.” Costner said that the team penning events set for Oct 16-18 have been cancelled because so many horses were coming from the quarantine area.
VS has been most prevalent in New Mexico with more than 186 premises under quarantined. A total of 318 premises have confirmed cases in six states; 124 in Colorado, 4 in Utah, 2 in Texas and 1 each in and Wyoming and Arizona (now released).
With North and Central Texas a leader in horses, the economic impact could be serious. Early Friday, Dr. Tom Brisker of the Ohio Department of Agriculture announced a special dispensation for Texas and Wyoming horses entering the state for the Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus. More than 2,000 of the 8,000 horses expected to compete are from Texas. Horses from these two states will be differentiated on arrival and must meet specific health certification requirements.
All competitors will be notified about the two recent VS outbreaks, and advised that a confirmation during the show could result in the quarantine of all horses on the grounds for as long as six weeks. All other hooved animals entering Ohio from infected states for other purposes remain subject to a 30-day quarantine.
“This is a serious disease, said Dr. Randall Grooms, Extension livestock specialist in Overton. “It’s extremely infectious. Animals lose weight and milk production drops dramatically. It will create serious damage to the East Texas agricultural economy alone. Cancelled livestock events and restrictions on movement of animals for sale will have significant impact on rural economies during this quarantine.”
The source of the infection for the horse in Rusk County is still under investigation. “These restrictions to movement, while necessary, will have a major economic impact on Texas livestock economies,” said Dr. Ellen Jordan, Extension dairy specialist based in Dallas. “Dairy and horse industries, both breeding and training, are at the greatest risk if this virus spreads in Texas.
“Dairy herds are at very high risk because VS is so contagious. The infection causes dramatic losses in milk production and secondary mastitis infections. Severe weight loss follows, and in dairy cattle, a marked decrease in milk production.” During a 1982 outbreak in Colorado, an average loss of $253 in production per cow was reported.
Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease affecting cattle, horses, swine and occasionally goats and human beings. An infected animal develops blister-like lesions inside the mouth, around the hooves and on the teats. As the blisters swell and break, the animal is too sensitive to eat and drink or will exhibit symptoms of lameness.
Infection lasts about two weeks and incubation time is two to eight days after exposure. To prevent spread of infection, affected and potentially exposed herds of livestock must remain under quarantine until 30 days after their last lesion has healed. Infected animals without symptoms can expose other animals. A vaccine exists but is approved for use only in special circumstances.
Dr. Grooms cautioned, “If your farm falls within a quarantined area, don’t wait until you have an infected animal to instigate precautionary measures. By the time you notice an infected animal, chances are it’s too late. It could have already been transmitted to the rest of the herd.”
Dr. Terry Beals, Executive Director of TAHC, says they will send a trained disease diagnostician to the location at no charge to assist in making a diagnosis. He advised owners with animals showing characteristic symptoms to contact their area TAHC office, TAHC headquarters in Austin or USDA.
Humans rarely get the disease, according to Max Coats, Texas Animal Health Commission epidemiologist. “While it’s possible for humans to contract vesicular stomatitis, the symptoms are like a mild flu and very unlikely to be passed from human to human.”
Many states have added movement restrictions as a result of this outbreak. Some states and foreign countries will not accept livestock that are from–or have been in–an infected state within the past 30 days. The economic impact and inconvenience stemming from these movement restrictions are significant for Texas producers.
The Texas Animal Health Commission is advising livestock owners who plan to move livestock out of state to contact the state or country of destination for entry requirements prior to their scheduled departure date.
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Information sources: Texas Animal Health Commission, Terry Beals, DVM 512/719-0710 USDA-Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS), Scott Wells, 512/482-5555 American Quarter Horse Association, Heath Miller, 806/376-4811 X332 Ag Hotline, 1-800-545-8732