Anthrax outbreak kills more than three dozen cattle in New South Wales
At least 37 cattle have died on two properties at Moree state in north-western New South Wales, according to a ABC News report today.
The anthrax outbreak, the first in four years in the state, was confirmed by the Department of Primary Industrie’s (DPI) Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute.
The carcasses of the dead cattle had been burnt and other animals at risk had been vaccinated, according to a Moree Champion report.
A DPI spokesman today said the infected properties have been quarantined and DPI and Livestock Health and Pest Authority officials are working closely with the property owners.
Listen: NSW DPI Chief Veterinary Officer Ian Roth confirms anthrax outbreak near Moree
It infects humans primarily through occupational or incidental exposure with infected animals of their skins.
Anthrax is caused by the bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. This spore forming bacteria can survive in the environment for years because of its ability to resist heat, cold, drying, etc. this is usually the infectious stage of anthrax.
When conditions become favorable, the spores germinate into colonies of bacteria. An example would be a grazing cow ingests spores that in the cow, germinate, grow spread and eventually kill the animal.
The bacteria will form spores in the carcass and then return to the soil to infect other animals. The vegetative form is rarely implicated in transmission.
There are no reports of person-to-person transmission of anthrax. 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 three types of human anthrax with differing degrees of seriousness: cutaneous, gastrointestinal and inhalation.
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