This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A highly contagious livestock virus that causes lesions on horses and cattle has now spread to nine Utah counties, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food announced this week.
Vesicular stomatitis (VS) has been detected in Beaver, Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, Kane, San Juan, Uintah and Weber counties. State Veterinarian Barry Pittman is advising Utah livestock owners to take appropriate biosecurity measures.
VS, which was first detected in Kane County earlier this year, primarily affects cattle and horses but can affect swine, sheep and goats. It rarely affects humans.
VS produces lesions in animals' mouths and udders. Though it's not generally fatal, the blisters leave raw tissue that is so painful that infected animals generally refuse to eat or drink and may show signs of lameness. Severe weight loss usually follows, and in dairy cows, a severe drop in milk production commonly occurs.
There is no specific treatment or cure for vesicular stomatitis. Livestock owners can protect animals by avoiding congregation of animals where the disease has occurred.
Pittman said that 2015 has been an active season for VS in the Southwest.
Owners intending to travel out of state with their animals should check with the destination state first, as some states have applied interstate movement restrictions from states where this disease has been diagnosed.
Utah is 1 of 8 states to have confirmed or suspected VS cases, according to a recent status report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Other affected states include Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming.
Livestock owners also are asked to report any symptoms to a veterinarian or the state department of agriculture at: 801-538-7109, 801-538-7161 or bpittman@utah.gov.