New VSV-Positive Premises Identified in Colorado
EDCC Health Watch
Equus Magazine
August 14, 2026
According to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), vesicular stomatitis (VSV) has been confirmed at one new equine premises in La Plata County, Colorado. The premises is under official quarantine.
Since the start of the current outbreak, 40 VSV-affected premises (30 confirmed positive, 10 presumptive positive) have been identified in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. All confirmed cases have been vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV) serotype.
Full text: https://equusmagazine.com/news/edcc-health-watch/new-vsv-positive-premises-identified-in-colorado
South Carolina animal health officials urge horse owners to vaccinate against mosquito-borne diseases
By Jonathan Veit
Clemson News
August 14, 2026
COLUMBIA, S.C. - With recent rain and humid conditions creating favorable environments for mosquitoes, Clemson University Livestock-Poultry Health is reminding horse owners to make sure their animals are vaccinated against eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV).
No equine cases of EEE or WNV have been reported in South Carolina this year. However, mosquito-borne disease activity nationally and recent West Nile virus activity in South Carolina highlight the importance of remaining vigilant.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health recently announced a West Nile virus outbreak in the Pee Dee after two people were diagnosed within a similar time frame and geographic area. DPH also reported 10 EEE-positive horses in South Carolina during 2025.
Minnesota Confirms First West Nile Virus Case of 2026 in Polk County Horse
By Jake Judd
KNSIRadio.com
August 14, 2026
(KNSI) - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has confirmed the state's first case of West Nile virus in a horse this year.
The animal is a three-year-old standardbred gelding in Polk County that had not been vaccinated against the disease. The board says the horse is recovering with supportive treatment from its veterinarian.
The infection turned up during a routine neurological exam, when the horse showed moderate weakness, a loss of muscle coordination and fell down. Its veterinarian started the animal on steroids, and it began improving within a few days.
2. DATCP reports deer farms in both Crawford and Portage counties have tested positive for CWD [WI]
By Todd Coppernoll, Adam D. Hess
CivicMedia.us
August 14, 2026
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has confirmed new cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) on deer farms in both Crawford and Portage counties. These findings were officially verified by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, following routine testing of the facilities' cervid populations.
The Crawford County incident involved a two-year-old female elk, while the positive result in Portage County was identified in a three-year-old buck. In response to these findings, both premises have been placed under immediate quarantine. DATCP is currently working in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to manage the situations, with veterinarians and specialized staff from both agencies conducting comprehensive epidemiological investigations to determine the extent of exposure and prevent further spread.
3. Experts say RFID technology boosts traceability and improves disease response in the swine sector
By Meghan Grebner
BrownfieldAgNews.com
August 14, 2026
Two swine industry experts say the use of RFID technology can improve traceability and make the U.S. herd more resilient.
Brent Pepin a veterinarian and the director of swine health for the National Pork Board says RFID tags would shorten the response times in the case of a foreign animal disease outbreak. "If we do have a pig that gets diagnosed with a trade limiting disease, we can quickly find what other pigs that animal might have had contact with to figure out where the potential threats are," he says. "And so we can get that disease under control as quickly as we can and resume our normal trading and normal production."
He says producers can streamline their animal health efforts. "Using programs like AgView that help you provide very quick records of where their pigs have moved," he says. "And then also taking advantage of new technology that's emerging and coming out, for example, the 840 RFID tags as a way to quickly identify animals and track those movements."
AgView is a digital contact tracing program with new advancements that allow participating producers and animal health officials to manage their U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan (U.S. SHIP).
Mark Wright with The Parks Company in Fremont, Nebraska says the company has been implementing RFID panel readers in its facility. He tells Brownfield it's improving efficiency.
4. Researchers seek to close NWS knowledge gap [edited]
UMN team hopes same approach can be customized for other threats, such as African swine fever or foot-and-mouth disease.
By Kaitlin Sullivan, Univ. of Minnesota
National Hog Farmer
August 14, 2026
For the first time in 60 years, New World screwworm has been detected in the United States, with animal cases confirmed in Texas and New Mexico raising concerns among health officials and livestock producers in the U.S.
Among those working to help prevent the next stream of outbreaks from spreading are researchers at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, who seek to fill gaps in veterinarian knowledge regarding a disease once considered eradicated in North America.
"It's an animal health emergency," says Guillermo Arcega Castillo, a Veterinary Public Health and Preventative Medicine resident in the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety. "It affects wildlife, livestock, companion animals and sometimes people."
Last year, Arcega Castillo was among a group of UMN researchers that received funding from the Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility for a project that seeks to understand how to best support veterinarians and producers in Mexico and Central America to respond to the new One Health crisis.
Full text: https://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/livestock-management/researchers-seek-to-close-nws-knowledge-gap
5. REMINDER: Requirements for Importing Animal-Derived Biological Materials, Products, and Byproducts, and Regulated Organisms
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
August 14, 2026
In recent months, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has intercepted an increasing number of smuggled research samples that are derived from animals or were exposed to animal products that could pose a risk of introducing foreign animal diseases into the United States. The U.S Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reminds researchers, importers, and industry stakeholders that biological materials, regulated organisms, and animal-derived products and byproducts require an APHIS permit and/or supportive documentation prior to entry into the United States. APHIS Veterinary Services (VS) recommends using the Veterinary Services Permitting Assistant (VSPA) to determine the required permits and/or documentation for importing regulated commodities. Importers should consult the APHIS Center for Veterinary Biologics if this material will be used to prepare veterinary biologics at any stage in production.
Concealing, mislabeling, or failing to declare materials is illegal and constitutes smuggling. Unauthorized importation of biological materials can introduce foreign animal diseases into the United States. Violators may face confiscation, fines, civil penalties, and criminal prosecution.
APHIS is committed to preventing the unlawful entry and distribution of prohibited agricultural and biological materials, which can carry foreign animal diseases, exotic pests, or invasive weeds, that threaten U.S. agriculture.
Additional information is available on the APHIS website (Animal Product Imports) or by contacting APIE@usda.gov.
Source: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/4250273
6. Livestock antibody research partnership enters second phase
Hub seeks to develop and improve vaccines and diagnostics for critical diseases in cattle, pigs and poultry.
The Roslin Institute
Feedstuffs
August 14, 2026
Scientists have met to launch the second phase of a collaboration focused on livestock antibody research, in support of the development of vaccines and diagnostics for animal diseases.
A renewed five-year funding award will support experts from The Pirbright Institute and Roslin Institute to continue the work of the Livestock Antibody Hub, which seeks to understand antibody responses to infection in cattle, pigs and poultry.
The hub, established in 2019, aims to expand knowledge of protective immunity in species that can also be used as models for a range of human infectious diseases.
The latest investment from the Gates Foundation will enable the Hub to continue providing researchers and vaccine developers with the specialist expertise, tools and technologies needed to accelerate innovation and improve livestock health worldwide.
Multiple benefits
By enabling informed vaccine design and advancing new approaches to disease prevention and treatment, the Hub's researchers aim to improve animal health and welfare, strengthen food security and support resilient farming systems.