Anthrax kills eight cows in South Dakota farm

For the first time this year, anthrax has been reported in cattle in South Dakota. Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, state veterinarian, has confirmed that 8 cows have died from a herd of 87 unvaccinated cattle in Clark County.

The Animal Disease Research and Diagnostics Laboratory of SDSU confirmed the presence of the disease from samples submitted over the weekend.

Anthrax is an economically devastating disease for the livestock industry. Anthrax is a bacterial pathogen livestock and wild animals. Some of the most common herbivores are cattle, sheep,goats, Horses, camels and deer. The anthrax is a very serious disease livestock because it can potentially cause the fast loss from a large number of animals in a very short time. Affected animals are often found dead without any disease detected.

When conditions become favorable, spores germinate in settlements of bacteria. A Example would be a pasture cow ingests spores that in the cow, sprout, grow and finally kill the animal. The anthrax is caused by the bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. This spore formation bacteria can to survive in the environment for years because of its ability to withstand heat, cold, drying, etc. C & # 39; usually the infectious stage of anthrax.

Anthrax spores survive indefinitely in contaminated soils, and much of South Dakota has the potential to experience an outbreak. Major climate changes, such as drought, floods and winds, can expose anthrax spores to pasture. Alkaline soils, high humidity and high temperatures present conditions for anthrax spores to vegetate and become infective for grazing livestock.

Bacteria train spores in the carcass and then go back to floor infect other animals. The vegetative form is rarely involved in transmission. Strict enforcement of quarantine measures and the burning and burial of carcasses of animals suspected of having died from anthrax are important to prevent soil contamination bacterial spores.

No case of person-to-person transmission of anthrax has been reported. People get anthrax by handling contaminated animals or animals animal products, consuming undercooked meat from infected animals and, more recently, an intentional release of spores.

There are three types of human anthrax with different degrees of severity: cutaneous, gastrointestinal and inhalation.

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