An anthrax outbreak in Carbon County, Wyoming, has killed at least 50 cattle and one moose.
“We have approximately 50 to 60 head that have died at this time due to anthrax,” Wyoming State Veterinarian Dr. Hallie Hasel told Cowboy State Daily. “It’s in a localized region at this time, but we are still investigating, and there could be other losses that we don’t know of quite yet.”
It is the first time that cattle have died from anthrax since the 1970s. The moose that died was the first wild animal in the state to die from anthrax since 1956.
Hasel noted that anthrax is a naturally occurring organism and can spawn in the soil under the right conditions.
“We’ve had a little drought in the region and then extremely heavy rain,” she said. “This is what we think precipitated (the outbreak) in this particular region.”
Hasel said that people should be vigilant, especially if they have been in contact with the carcass of an animal that may have died of anthrax.
“Anthrax is a zoonotic disease, and we are concerned about that,” she said. “Anybody that thinks they have been exposed to a carcass of an animal that may have died of anthrax, whether it be a cow, horse, moose, or deer, they need to contact the Wyoming Department of Public Health or their medical provider as soon as possible.”
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