On April 13, 2020, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, confirmed a finding of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection (Indiana serotype) on an equine premises in Dona Ana County, New Mexico.  A single horse on the index premises has met the case definition of infection with compatible clinical signs and virus isolation positive results. A second equine premises in Sierra County, New Mexico subsequently met confirmed VSV case definition with compatible clinical signs and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-positive results for VSV (Indiana serotype).  This is the 2020 VSV index case for the United States and subsequent VSV case for New Mexico. ***UPDATE: Bernalillo, De Baca, and Grant counties have also confirmed cases for VSV***

The epidemiological investigations on both VSV-positive premises indicate that incursion of VSV-infected insect vectors is the likely source of infection in these herds.  Biosecurity measures and vector mitigation have been instituted to reduce spread of the virus. For full NMLB press release, click here.

Please see the USDA APHIS Veterinary Services website to read the current situation report. 

Additional resources:

As of April 1, 2020, there are new guidelines regarding operations of Horse Rescue and Boarding Facilities in response to the Governor's non-essential business directive. Please review the letter from the NMLB here.

**UPDATE 5/18/2020- COUNTIES WITH CONFIRMED CASES**: Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease has now been confirmed in domestic rabbits in Bernalillo, Chaves, Cibola, Curry, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Lincoln, Luna, McKinley, Otero, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Torrance, and Valencia Counties.

**UPDATE 5/18/2020- Map of Affected Counties**: Click Here for Map (Sandoval and Sierra Counties have been added)

**UPDATE 4/6/2020**: We have confirmation of RHDV type 2 in wild rabbits. We do appreciate the response, but we will not be testing any additional wild rabbits. Instead, we will focus on domestic rabbits.

For questions regarding wild rabbits, please contact New Mexico Game and Fish.

This viral disease of rabbit has been diagnosed in New Mexico. We are reporting on partial results from the USDA APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories and Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were positive for RHDV Type 2. Suspect cases have been reported from central and southern New Mexico, as well as cases of wild rabbit die offs throughout southern New Mexico.

Do not allow visitors in your rabbitry, fence out wild rabbits, and limit new animal introduction. Please see the attached information from USDA APHIS Veterinary Services.

Due to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak, and both state and federal emergency declarations regarding COVID 19; we are currently unable to hold producer meetings regarding the changes to the Trich Rules. For this reason, we will extend the grace period for enforcement of the new rules until August 1, 2020.

**EXCEPTION- 21.30.6.11(E) Neighboring facilities of a positive T.foetus herd. Section 11(E) will be enforced immediately.

Please click here to view the full NMAC 21.30.6 Bovine Trichomoniasis with completed changes.

See the document below, both in English and Spanish, for a discussion on how to minimize the risk of your horse getting and/or spreading the EHV-1 virus.