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What Is Anthrax?
Anthrax is a disease that most commonly appears as blood poisoning. It strikes suddenly and kills cattle quickly. Cattle contract the disease in pastures contaminated by anthrax spores. It does not spread from cow to cow by contact.
Who Gets Anthrax
All animals are susceptible to anthrax to some degree, but cattle, horses, sheep and goats are most commonly affected. Humans and swine possess a greater natural resistance to the disease.
What Causes Anthrax?
It is caused by the anthrax germ, Bacillus anthracis. The germ multiplies in the bloodstream of a susceptible animal -- or in man. When the bacillus escapes from the animal's body, it forms a spore when exposed to air. This spore -- a protective capsule -- is highly resistant to heat, cold, chemical disinfectants, and long dry periods. The spores can survive many years on hides or on any contaminated object held in storage.
How Does an Animal Get Anthrax
The spore is picked up and swallowed by the animal grazing on contaminated pasture or eating contaminated hay or other feed.
How Do Humans Get Anthrax
Humans usually get anthrax by skinning, butchering, or making post mortem examinations of infected carcasses, or by handling contaminated hides, wool, hair, animal by-products, or other contaminated material.
Anthrax of the skin is the most common form, resulting in sores or carbuncles. Inhalation anthrax may occur when a person inhales spores during the processing of wool, hair, or hides. The disease is a danger to those people who are in contact with anthrax carcasses. Infection may resemble a carbuncle, but is readily treated by antibiotics. From a human health standpoint, anthrax is a very low risk disease and does not pose a health hazard to consumers of meat because animals are inspected for disease by federal or state meat inspectors before, during, and after slaughter.
Is There a Vaccination for Anthrax?
Yes, vaccination protects animals against anthrax. The disease does not occur every year; therefore, herd owners tend to vaccinate only when there is a threat of the disease. Also, animals in the early stages of infection can be treated with antibiotics.
Animals are not fully protected until 8 days after vaccination. When there are losses it is possible to give the whole herd antibiotic treatment until immunity has been established. This often save animals that are in the incubation period. The antibiotics do not seem to interfere with the vaccine.
When Does Anthrax Occur?
Anthrax outbreaks are closely tied to weather conditions. Outbreaks usually occur when minimum temperatures are about 60 degrees F., and there is a prolonged period of 2 weeks or more without rain.
What Are the Symptoms?
Often a seemingly healthy animal dies without showing any sign of the disease. In the most acute form, an animal will suddenly stagger, have convulsions, and die. There may be blood-stained discharges from the natural openings of the body. Other symptoms are excitement, spasms, respiratory or cardiac distress, trembling, staggering, and convulsions. Death may occur suddenly or the disease may last from 3 to 5 days or longer.
Where Do Outbreaks Occur?
Anthrax occurs where the environment is suitable to perpetuate the organism. Areas of intensive soil cultivation, where rain is steady the year around, cold areas, and very dry areas do not have anthrax.
In the United States, most anthrax outbreaks occur in areas where:
- The Bacillus anthracis has become established in the soil by old or new outbreaks.
- The soil is alkaline. Examples are limestone soils, alluvial flats, bottomlands, meadow-marshes, dried-up ponds, and slick spots where water has been trapped on high ground.
- A wet spring that leads to grass kill, followed by a hot, dry period in summer or early fall, is characteristic "anthrax weather." Minimum temperatures of 60 degrees F. and above are high enough for spores to grow.
- Grass or vegetations is damaged by a flood-drouth sequence. Also, pasture grass or limestone rock that has been slick with vegetations and then dries up will expose anthrax spores.
What Can You Do to Treat the Disease Once There Is an Outbreak
Consult your veterinarian. Check all livestock frequently. Isolate affected animals. Vaccinate healthy animals and move them off contaminated pastures.
To prevent spreading the disease after an outbreak, burn infected carcasses, bedding and any material found around the carcass. Disinfect contaminated quarters with a 5-percent lye solution.
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