State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Stout on Tuesday lifted an embargo on the importation of livestock, wild and exotic animals into Kentucky from Colorado that was enacted because of vesicular stomatitis (VS), ending the last of the VS-related restrictions that started with an outbreak in Texas last May.

"These embargos have ended because there are no more active cases of vesicular stomatitis in these states," Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. "I appreciate the efforts of Dr. Stout and our entire staff at the Division of Animal Health to keep this disease out of the Commonwealth."

Kentucky imposed a ban on Texas animals in May after a vesicular stomatitis outbreak was reported in the western part of the state. A week later, Governor Ernie Fletcher issued an emergency regulation that limited the embargo to about 60 counties in western and southern Texas.

Embargoes were placed on animals from New Mexico in June and Colorado animals in July as outbreaks were reported in those states. The orders also required equine entering Kentucky from states bordering the affected states and the non-embargoed section of Texas to have a negative test for vesicular stomatitis.

The Texas embargo was lifted in October. Dr. Stout canceled the ban on animals from New Mexico last week.

Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease that occurs sporadically in the United States, usually in southwestern states. The disease can affect horses, cattle and swine, and occasionally sheep, goats and deer. It causes blisters to form in the animal's mouth, on teats or along the hooves, resulting in excessive salivation, lameness or oozing sores. VS may incubate for two to eight days before clinical signs appear. It is rarely fatal and usually lasts about two weeks.

The clinical signs of vesicular stomatitis closely resemble those of foot-and-mouth disease. VS affects equine whereas foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) does not. FMD has been eradicated from the U.S. since 1929.