Hint… if you like time off during the summer, don’t get into equine infectious diseases.

Vesicular stomatitis (VS) has been identified in five (so far – probably more to come) horses in Kinney County, Texas. The case is shown on the Worms & Germs Map, and more details are available in the news release from the Texas Animal Health Commission.

Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease that causes blistering and sores of the mouth/muzzle of infected animals, as well as on the udder and coronary band (around the hooves) in some cases.  The disease is certainly uncomfortable, and can cause animals to stop eating, but the lesions gradually heal and the infection resolves on its own in a few weeks.  Part of the reason VS is such a big deal is because it can also infect cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, and in these species the lesions look just like those caused by Foot and Mouth Disease, which is a very serious foreign animal disease to Canada and the US.