Owners of horses and other livestock across Lyon and surrounding counties are urged to start taking steps now to avoid a spreading health issue.
Vesicular stomatitis has been in several Kansas counties for a few weeks and moved into Greenwood County last week. On KVOE’s Morning Show on Monday, Lyon County Extension ag agent Brian Rees encouraged good hygiene for the animals as a disease deterrent.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture says biting insects like black flies, sand flies and midges are the primary carriers of the virus to livestock. Animal owners “should institute aggressive measures” to reduce flies and other similar insects. Rees agrees, saying animal owners should stock up on fly spray and be sure their animals have good hygiene.
Currently, there are no USDA-approved vaccines, buildings or other premises where infected animals live need to be quarantined for at least 14 days after the last affected animal is diagnosed. It can take five to seven days for the virus to run its course, but it can take another week for the infected animal to recover.
So far, over 20 horses in seven Kansas counties, including one in Greenwood County, have been infected. Another 53, including three in Greenwood County, have been quarantined. VSV has now been confirmed in Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Last year, VSV hit Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming, although the Kansas cases were limited to the far west part of the state.
For more information, call the Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health at 785-564-6601 or go online to www.agriculture.ks.gov/VSV.
