More than a dozen cases of a viral disease impacting horses and cattle have been confirmed across Texas this month alone.
Some of the affected counties include Bell, Coryell and Williamson Counties.
When vesicular stomatitis, also known as VS, hits, owners have to take the proper precautions to protect their animals.
The viral disease impacts horses and cattle. Infected animals develop blisters that swell and burst, leaving painful sores.
The team from the non-profit organization Hoofbeats for Heroes heard all about a case hitting Bell County right before heading to a competition at the beginning of August.
“So we did certain things where we made sure our water bucket was sanitized, that they were in no contact with other horses. We made sure that our riders knew not to let their horses touch noses with other horses," said Tiffany Zeitouni, founder of Hoofbeats for Heroes.
According to the Texas Animal Health Commission, the 2019 outbreak began on June 21, 2019, when the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the first case in Kinney County, Texas.
Several states have imposed enhanced entry requirements on Texas livestock due to the VS cases.
