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June 15, 2006 It’s Not Too Late to Vaccinate for Anthrax Producers still have time to vaccinate their livestock against anthrax, North Dakota State University Extension Service veterinarian Charlie Stoltenow says. The region’s first anthrax case of the season has been found in northwestern Minnesota. Six of the cattle in a 17-head herd have died from the disease. The herd had not been vaccinated. Stoltenow said this is a little early for anthrax to appear. It usually doesn’t surface until about July 1. The anthrax vaccine is very effective and safe, according to Stoltenow. It will not cause anthrax in animals and is not dangerous to humans. He advises producers to contact their veterinarian about getting their livestock vaccinated as soon as possible. Anthrax is a concern because it can be a long-term problem. Spores of the bacteria that cause it can survive in the soil for many decades. 2005 was a bad year for anthrax in the upper Midwest and Manitoba. The disease killed more than 500 animals in the region. Most were cattle, but bison, horses, sheep, llamas and farm-raised elk and deer also died. Cases of anthrax develop in the region almost every year. However, favorable weather conditions, such as heavy rainfall, flooding or drought, may make the disease more widespread. Rain and flooding can raise the spores to the ground’s surface, where livestock graze. Drought conditions can lead to soil erosion, which also allows spores to resurface. The remainder of the northwestern Minnesota herd has been vaccinated, and the Minnesota state veterinarian’s office is working with the producer. For more information, contact Stoltenow at (701) 231-7522 or cstolten@ndsuext.nodak.edu, or Neil Dyer, director of the NDSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, at (701 231-7521 or neil.dyer@ndsu.edu. ### Source:
Charlie Stoltenow, (701) 231-7522 or cstolten@ndsuext.nodak.edu, |
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North Dakota State University |
