WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Before the Butler County 4-H Fair July 18-22, the county announces changes to protect against the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a disease that affects livestock, especially horses. . Security measures include not allowing any animal to enter the fairground “until it has been inspected in the trailers by a qualified, licensed and accredited veterinarian.”
The Kansas Department of Agriculture said VSV was first confirmed on June 16 in Butler County and has now been further confirmed by testing in Cowley, Greenwood, Sedgwick and Sumner counties. The agriculture department confirmed the latest case Thursday (July 2) in Greenwood County.
With last month’s finding in Butler County, Kansas became the fourth state in the United States to have confirmed VSV cases this year, after New Mexico, Arizona and Texas, the department of agriculture said.
There are now confirmed cases in Nebraska as well.
All infected facilities are quarantined for a minimum of 14 days from the date of the last VSV diagnosis, says the agriculture department.
“In horses, VSV is typically characterized by lesions that appear as crusted crusts on the muzzle, lips, ears, coronary bands, or ventral abdomen. Other clinical signs of the disease include fever and the formation of blisters in the mouth and on the dental pad, tongue, lips, nostrils, ears, hooves and nipples ”, explains the department of agriculture. “Infected animals can refuse to eat and drink, which can lead to weight loss. Vesicular stomatitis can be painful for infected animals and expensive for their owners. ”
The virus is transmitted primarily from stinging insects, including flies, but can also be transmitted by nose-to-nose contact between animals, the agriculture department says. VSV usually runs its course in about a week, but it can take an additional seven days for the infected animal to recover from symptoms.
Humans can also sometimes become infected with the disease when handling animals, resulting in flu-like symptoms. However, the agriculture department says this is rare.
“This outbreak continues to be very active in south central Kansas, and we encourage all horse and other animal owners to remain vigilant,” said Dr. Justin Smith, Commissioner for Animal Health. Monitor your animals for VSV symptoms and contact your vet if you see anything concerning. The most effective way to stop the spread of this virus is to take aggressive measures to limit exposure to insects that are the main source of infection. “
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