The
Texas drought has added insult to injury, as anthrax has been confirmed
in a cow that died in Schleicher County. Anthrax bacteria can lie
dormant in soil for years, until hot, dry weather conditions
trigger the bacteria’s germination. Livestock and wildlife can pick up
the bacteria as they crop the grass close to the soil. Once they
ingest the bacteria, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, deer and other
grazing animals can become ill and die within hours.
“Anthrax occurs worldwide, and in Texas, and we typically see cases in a triangle bounded by Uvalde, Ozona and Eagle Pass, but it is not unexpected to have cases in other areas,” said Dr. Bob Hillman,
Texas’ state veterinarian and head of the Texas Animal Health
Commission (TAHC), the state’s livestock and poultry health regulatory
agency.
“We have heard concerns about anthrax in other
counties this summer, but the only laboratory confirmed case is in
Schleicher County,” said Dr. Hillman. “There is no cause for alarm,
but we do urge ranchers in the area to vaccinate their grazing
livestock, to prevent losses to this naturally occurring disease. The
injectable vaccine can be obtained from feed stores or through
veterinarians or livestock supply representatives. Unfortunately, there
is no approved medication or prevention for free-ranging wildlife.
When cooler temperatures roll in, the outbreak will end.
When
an area experiences an anthrax outbreak, Dr. Hillman said ranchers
should wear long sleeves and gloves when handling or vaccinating
livestock. Afterward, good sanitation measures should be followed,
including hand washing and laundering of clothing. This aids in
preventing contact with the anthrax bacteria which may have been picked
up on the hides of animals. Skin exposure to the bacteria can cause a
nasty sore that requires appropriate medical treatment. Dr. Hillman
also cautioned against picking up bones, horns or shed antlers, and
said pets and children should be kept away from dead animals. Healthy
animals also should be moved from a contaminated pasture during an
outbreak.
“Anthrax ‘hot spots’ in a pasture are usually limited to very small areas,” explained Dr. Hillman. To prevent additional soil contamination,
he said TAHC regulations require that animals dead from anthrax be
burned, along with their bedding and manure. This prevents wild pigs,
coyotes, dogs or other predators from dragging carcasses (and the
accompanying anthrax bacteria) from one pasture to another. In severe
droughts, that is not always possible, and a waiver of the regulations
and alternative disposal may be requested from the TAHC.
Dr. Hillman said TAHC regulations also require that animals on an
infected premises be quarantined for at least 10 days after all the
livestock have been vaccinated against the disease. During this time,
anthrax-exposed animals will die from the disease without contaminating
new areas, while healthy, vaccinated animals will develop immunity.
All anthrax cases--suspected or laboratory confirmed--must be reported
to the TAHC. The regulatory agency operates a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-550-8242,
with state or federal regulatory veterinarians available at all times
to take calls and work with private veterinary practitioners and
producers.
“Hunters often ask us about the risks associated
with harvesting animals in an area that has experienced an anthrax
outbreak,” commented Dr. Hillman. “We do caution against harvesting
wild hogs in an affected area during an outbreak. The hogs consume the
meat of dead animals and could be carrying the bacteria. Fortunately,
by the time deer hunting season
starts, cool weather usually puts an end to a season’s outbreak.
Harvest only healthy-looking deer and other hoof stock. If a deer has
ingested anthrax bacteria, within hours, it will stagger, tremble or
exhibit convulsions, and death is inevitable.”
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