At press time, the latest situation report on vesicular stomatitis posted by the Department of Agriculture's Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health was dated June 26. At that time, 19 premises in Arizona, two in New Mexico, one in Texas, and two in Utah had VS test-positive animals and were under quarantine.

The first confirmed cases of VS in 2005 came in April and May when horses in New Mexico and Arizona were found to have the New Jersey strain (see JAVMA, June 15, 2005, page 1961). Confirmation of the first and only case of VS in cattle this year was made June 22 by the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Plum Island, N.Y. A bovid in Socorro County, New Mexico, was confirmed to have the New Jersey strain.

According to the June 26 situation report, 21 equids in Arizona and two each in New Mexico, Texas, and Utah tested positive.