CLEVELAND — The Ohio Department of Agriculture is tightening veterinary inspections for horses that enter Ohio from any state where Vesicular Stomatitis (VSV) has been diagnosed. This further inspection applies to all horses, including those intending to participate in the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus on Oct. 1.
Any horse entering Ohio where VSV has been diagnosed within the last seven days, or a state that contains premises quarantined for VSV, must have a health certificate from a veterinarian dated within seven days of entry, and containing the following statement:
"All animals identified on the certificate of veterinary inspection have been inspected and found to be free from clinical signs of vesicular stomatitis.“
The department of agriculture says horses from quarantined or infected premises are still banned from entering the state. Currently, VSV has been detected in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
The disease causes blister-like lesions, which can burst and leave open wounds, the Department of Agriculture said. These can become extremely painful to animals and can result in the inability to eat and drink.
In August, the department of agriculture also warned about the mosquito-borne virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) that killed a horse in Ashtabula County. It was the first case of EEE in Ohio since at least 2009.
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