The anthrax season near Del Rio started a little early this year, with a case confirmed March 31 in a five-year-old male goat. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) is advising owners in the area to vaccinate livestock to prevent additional death losses.
“Usually we see cases of anthrax occurring in summer when the temperatures rise, but this spring has been quite warm. Anthrax occurs worldwide, but in Texas, cases are typically found in a triangle bounded by Uvalde, Ozona and Eagle Pass, which takes in portions of Crockett, Val Verde, Sutton, Edwards, Kinney, Uvalde and Maverick counties,” said Dr. Hillman, Texas’ state veterinarian and head of the Texas Animal Health Commission, the state’s regulatory agency for livestock and poultry health.
Dr. Hillman explained that anthrax bacteria lies dormant in the ground, and germination is triggered by appropriate moisture and warmth. As the bacteria migrates to the surface, it contaminates grass and soil, where it is picked up by grazing animals. Because anthrax bacteria generall does not migrate in the ground, contamination in a large pasture may be limited to
only a small area. Continue reading Anthrax Confirmed in Del Rio Goat