I am forwarding the following information just received from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture,
regarding the confirmation of vesicular stomatitis (VS) in New Mexico.
Carla Everett,
TAHC Public Info.


>On June 4, 2004, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in
>Ames, IA, confirmed the finding of vesicular stomatitis (VS) in horses at
>one premises in New Mexico.
>
>VS is a viral disease which primarily affects horses, cattle, and swine.
>The virus that causes VS has a wide host range. VS also occasionally
>affects sheep and goats. In affected livestock, VS virus causes
>blisterlike lesions to form in the mouth and on the dental pad, tongue,
>lips, nostrils, hooves, and teats. These blisters swell and break, leaving
>raw tissue that is so painful that infected animals generally refuse to eat
>and drink and show signs of lameness. Severe weight loss usually follows,
>and in dairy cows, a severe drop in milk production commonly occurs.
>Affected dairy cattle can appear to be normal and will continue to eat
>about half of their feed intake.
>
>On May 26, 2004, a foreign animal disease investigation was initiated at a
>farm Carlsbad, NM due to a report of tongue lesions in 2 horses on the
>premises. There are 2 additional horses, 2 steers and some sheep and goats
>on the infected premises that show no signs of lesions. Serum was taken
>from all horses on the premises and submitted to NVSL for testing.
>
>After the first round of testing, one horse was CF positive and 3 horses
>were cELISA positive for antibodies to the New Jersey strain of VS virus.
>
>The second set of serum samples from the horses were received by NVSL on
>June 3, 2004. Results from the second set of serum samples were
>consistent with the case definition for VS which is based on compatible
>clinical signs and appropriate laboratory confirmation which may include
>virus isolation or a four-fold increase in complement fixation (CF) or
>serum neutralization titer in paired sera collected at least 7 days apart.
>
>The infected premises has been placed under quarantine. There is no
>history of exposure and no recent herd additions.
>
>Veterinary Services and New Mexico Department of Agriculture will continue
>to monitor the situation and conduct response activities in an effort to
>minimize trade restrictions.