Horses entering or returning to Western Canada must have a veterinary inspection because of an outbreak of vesicular stomatitis, said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease that affects horses, swine, cattle, sheep and members of the deer and alpaca family. It can spread rapidly within affected animals. It is not fatal, but causes discomfort and resembles hoof-and-mouth disease.
An outbreak of the disease has been reported in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and Canada.
The United States Department of Agriculture will not certify animals considered susceptible to the disease for import into Canada from states with reported cases.
Before the outbreak, horses accompanied by a valid export health certificate were exempt from veterinary inspection upon entry into Canada because of the comparable disease status of both countries.
