Anthrax Awareness for Ranchers

Anthrax is a reportable disease that can kill cattle without warning and can also affect people. This guide is about awareness, so you know when to stop, step back and make the right phone calls.

Key points

Anthrax is a reportable disease and can affect people as well as cattle.
Unexplained sudden deaths mean stop, keep clear and call.
Never open, skin or move a suspect carcass yourself.
Call your vet, the state veterinarian or USDA APHIS right away.
Talk with your vet about local risk and whether vaccination applies.

What anthrax is and why it is taken seriously

Anthrax is caused by a bacterium that forms hardy spores in soil. Those spores can lie dormant for a very long time and then cause disease when grazing animals pick them up. It is a regulated disease, which means suspected cases are handled through your state veterinarian and USDA APHIS rather than as a private matter.

It is also a zoonotic disease, meaning it can pass from animals to people. That is a big reason this topic gets its own caution.

Where and why it shows up

Anthrax tends to appear in certain regions and certain kinds of ground, and outbreaks are often tied to weather swings such as flooding after dry spells or dry spells after wet ones, which can bring spores into contact with grazing cattle. Ground disturbance can play a part.

Your state veterinarian or your herd vet can tell you whether your area has a history of the disease and whether vaccination is something to discuss. Do not assume your place is safe or at risk based on hearsay.

What a suspicious death looks like

The typical alarm is a sudden death in an animal that looked normal the day before, sometimes several animals in a short span. Other diseases and causes such as lightning, poisoning or clostridial infection can look similar from a distance, which is exactly why a professional must sort it out.

Do not try to diagnose it yourself. Note what you saw and leave the rest to your vet.

Animal found dead with no earlier signs of illness
More than one animal lost in a short period in the same pasture
Carcass that bloats quickly or has unclotted dark discharge from body openings
Any death where you simply cannot explain the cause

What to do and what not to do

If you suspect anthrax, call your veterinarian, the state veterinarian or USDA APHIS right away. They will tell you what to do next and may arrange testing the correct way.

Do not cut into, skin, drag or move the carcass. Opening a suspect carcass exposes spores to air and ground and can put you and others at risk. Do not sell, move or ship other cattle from the affected group until you have official direction.

Keep people, dogs and other livestock away from the carcass
Do not butcher, skin or open the animal
Wash your hands and change clothing if you handled anything before you suspected the cause
Write down location, time, number affected and recent movements
Follow instructions from the state veterinarian exactly on disposal and quarantine

Protecting your family and crew

Tell everyone who works with you what to do before an emergency happens. Hired hands, family members and neighbors who help at roundups should all know that a sudden death means stop, do not touch and call.

If anyone has contact with a suspect carcass or develops a skin sore or illness afterward, contact a physician and mention the livestock exposure. Public health agencies such as the CDC publish guidance, and your doctor can work with the state health department.

Prevention conversations to have with your vet

Ask your veterinarian whether vaccination makes sense in your area, how it is handled where anthrax is known to occur, and what the state requires or recommends. Vaccine use for this disease can have rules attached, so work through your vet and state officials.

Also ask about a response plan for your operation: who gets called first, where you can keep cattle apart, and how carcass disposal would be handled under official direction.

Common mistakes

The worst outcomes come from curiosity and haste. Cutting open a carcass to see what happened, hauling it to a burn pile without calling anyone, or selling the rest of the group quickly can spread spores or cause legal trouble. Treat any unexplained sudden death as a reason to pause.

When to get help: Call your herd veterinarian, the state veterinarian or USDA APHIS immediately about any suspect case, and contact a physician if anyone had exposure. Follow official instructions on quarantine, disposal and cattle movement.

Sources and further reading

Organization homepages are linked so you can search them for current guidance on this topic.

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