| | The environmental conditions in Saskatchewan in spring and early summer were just right for bringing the anthrax spores to the surface in puddles of water. As the puddles dried out - the spores were concentrated in smaller areas, and exposure to animals precipitated the problem.
"Concerns are not heightened any more than normally for this time of year in Alberta," says Dr. Gerald Ollis, Chief Provincial Veterinarian with Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Edmonton. "Alberta has had outbreaks of anthrax before, but usually much smaller than is being experienced in Saskatchewan."
While there has never been an outbreak of anthrax in Canada that has involved this many farms and this number of cattle, vaccination of cattle for anthrax is not recommended. The disease is very sporadic and it is not a disease that needs to be included in routine vaccinations.
"It is recommend that producers keep an eye on their pastured cattle, and if they find a dead animal for unexplained reasons, they should contact their veterinarian. Anthrax is a reportable disease and the veterinarian will then contact the nearest Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Animal Health District Office to have a post-mortem done," says Ollis. "With anthrax, you rarely see a sick animal because animals die quickly once infected. A post-mortem is an important step to ensure that this is not the beginning of an outbreak."
Anthrax can infect people, but exposure is usually manifested as skin lesions on the hands of people handling infected animals. This form of anthrax is not the same as the anthrax that is used by terrorists. This strain of anthrax does not pose a public heath concern; however, producers are advised not to handle or move a carcass if anthrax is suspected, but to call a veterinarian who will see that proper procedures are followed.
A factsheet on anthrax that provides additional information, can be found by searching for Anthrax on the CFIA website.
Contact: Dr. Gerald Ollis, DVM (780) 427-3448 |
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