On May 17, 2023, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) issued an equine health alert regarding the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a viral disease agent that primarily affects horses and cattle and occasionally swine, sheep, goats, llamas, and alpacas. Although VSV does not usually cause animals to die, it does cause significant economic losses to livestock producers. Humans that handle affected animals may become infected, but this is a rare event.
The following are ways to help protected horses and livestock:
- Limit movement of animals from affected premises
- Apply insect control programs
- Separate animals with lesions from healthy animals
- Bring animals indoors at night to reduce their exposure to biting insects
- Use individual animal equipment or disinfect equipment between use on each animal
While VSV has been detected in Riverside County, there are currently no cases in Jurupa Valley. The City of Jurupa Valley continues to monitor the situation alongside the CDFA.
For more information on the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus, click here. For health alerts on the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus, click here.