Wyoming reports first animal anthrax cases in decades
This week, the Wyoming Livestock Board reported on the confirmation of anthrax in multiple beef herds located in Carbon County, Wyoming. More than 50 cattle have died from anthrax recently.
This is the first confirmed anthrax in Wyoming cattle since the 1970s.
“Multiple state agencies and private veterinarians responded quickly following the anthrax diagnosis by the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory. Protecting animal and human health is critical upon diagnosis of a zoonotic disease,” said Dr. Hallie Hasel, Wyoming State Veterinarian. “The Wyoming Livestock Board will continue working with producers and private veterinarians to reduce further spread and limit human exposure through recommendations for carcass disposal and vaccination. Anthrax vaccine is approved for multiple livestock species and highly effective.”
In addition, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, through the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, confirmed a case of anthrax in a dead moose in Carbon County.
This recent detection in a moose is the only documented case reported in wildlife at this time. The last confirmed case of anthrax in wildlife in Wyoming was in 1956 in Sublette County.
Wildlife and veterinary health officials ask that anyone in Carbon County who encounters a dead animal such as elk, moose, deer, antelope or cattle with no obvious injury to leave it alone and call health officials.
Anthrax is a naturally occurring bacterial disease that can be transmitted between livestock, wildlife and humans. It is most commonly seen in herbivores, including cattle, deer and bison (elk, moose and pronghorn are also susceptible). Carnivores tend to be less at risk and may display higher resilience to the disease. The spores can persist in the ground for decades and emerge when the ground is disturbed or flooded. Disturbance is common in summer months when conditions may alternate between rain and hot, dry weather, allowing spores to be released from contaminated soil and ingested by livestock or wildlife.
Listen: Floron (Buddy) C. Faries, DVM discusses anthrax in this 2013 podcast interview
Domestic and wild animals may become infected when they breathe or ingest spores in contaminated soil, plants, or water. Clinical signs of anthrax in livestock include sudden death, weakness, staggering, difficulty breathing, fever, and bloody diarrhea.
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People get anthrax by handling contaminated animal or animal products, consuming undercooked meat of infected animals and more recently, intentional release of spores. There are no reports of person-to-person transmission of anthrax.
There are three types of human anthrax with differing degrees of seriousness: cutaneous, gastrointestinal and inhalation.