041153 Anthrax Kills 15 Cattle in North DakotaNovember 18, 2004Bismarck, ND - Fifteen beef cattle died from anthrax on a Dunn County farm last month and were burned and buried as a precaution, the state veterinarian says. Veterinarian Susan Keller said the Taylor-area farm is under quarantine, but the cattle deaths pose no threat to the public. "This is not a highly contagious disease," Keller said. She chose not to publicize the information last month to avoid an unnecessary scare, she said. "If it is not a health threat or a public concern, by publishing it, it gives the perception that it is," Keller said. The cattle owner learned about the anthrax infection after calling a veterinarian when his cattle began to die, Keller said. A North Dakota State University diagnostic lab confirmed the cattle had anthrax on Oct. 19, she said. The remaining cattle in the herd were treated with antibiotics, she said, and they are expected to survive. She did not know how many cattle were part of the herd. Keller said North Dakota has at least one case of anthrax in cattle each year. Animals can die within two weeks after exposure, often without showing symptoms. Cattle get anthrax by eating spores in the dirt. Some of the spores are thought to be residual spores from cattle drives of more than 100 years ago, and they grow inside the host animal with exposure to oxygen. Charlie Stoltenow, veterinarian for North Dakota State University extension service, said any risk to humans from cattle anthrax is extremely low. He said veterinarians are trained in identification of the disease and how to handle it when it's found.
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