Public veterinary medicine: public health. Serologic evaluation of vesicular stomatitis virus exposure in horses and cattle in 1996.
OBJECTIVE
To determine potential risk factors for vesicular stomatitis (VS) in Colorado livestock in 1995 and evaluate VS virus (VSV) exposure of Colorado livestock in 1996.


METHODS
Retrospective case-control study of VS risk factors and seroprevalence evaluation.


METHODS
Premises included 52 that had VS-positive animals and 33 that did not have VS-positive animals during the 1995 epidemic, and 8 in the vicinity of premises that had VS-positive animals during the 1995 epidemic.


METHODS
Layout and management data for premises were collected during site visits in 1996. Signalment and management data were collected for animals from which samples were obtained, and samples were tested by serologic examination and virus isolation. The VSV seroprevalence rate was estimated for Colorado, using serum obtained for equine infectious anemia testing and from the Market Cattle Identification program in Colorado.


RESULTS
At least 1 animal was seropositive for VSV on 35 of 52 (67%) premises, and 71 of 228 (31%) animals tested were seropositive for VSV. Seroprevalence was 63 of 170 (37%) for horses and 8 of 54 (15%) for cattle. Seroprevalence of VSV in animals from non-study premises in Colorado in 1996 was estimated to be 1.1% in cattle and 0.8% in horses.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall VSV seroprevalence in Colorado livestock was less than seroprevalence in epidemic areas, and seroprevalence rates in epidemic areas were greater for horses than cattle. Results may indicate that some animals had subclinical VSV infection during epidemics and that animals may be exposed to VSV between epidemics.
Mumford
E L
EL
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, USA.
McCluskey
B J
BJ
Traub-Dargatz
J L
JL
Schmitt
B J
BJ
Salman
M D
MD
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006736:Horses; D009500:Neutralization Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral