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Published Date: 2005-07-28 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Anthrax, bovine - Canada (MB)
Archive Number: 20050728.2197

ANTHRAX, BOVINE - CANADA (MANITOBA)
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Date: Thu 28 Jul 2005 11:19 AM
From: Bob Parkinson <partkinsonb@em.agr.ca>
Source: Brandon Sun online [edited]
<http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=196>

Anthrax kills area cattle [edited]
------------------------------
8 cattle are dead after a Rock Lake-area herd came into contact with
anthrax earlier this week -- the 1st such case in Manitoba since 2003. The
herd's remaining 37 cows and calves have since been quarantined and
vaccinated, and appear to be healthy, according to federal and provincial
officials. Rock Lake is approximately 130 kilometres southeast of Brandon.
Anthrax bacteria that affect cattle isn't the same as that which is
associated with terrorism. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said
yesterday there is no cause for alarm. "This disease does not spread from
animal to animal," said Dr. George Luterbach, chief veterinarian in this
area for the CFIA, who confirmed yesterday that 8 cattle died. The bacteria
is linked to animals that died but weren't buried, and can remain idle in
soil for decades.
Small pockets of anthrax exist across the country and wet weather, such as
that experienced in southern Manitoba this summer, can cause outbreaks.
Cattle and sheep are the most susceptible to the disease. The illness
typically kills cattle within 12 to 24 hours of exposure. [Actually the
incubation is longer, usually 4 days, but can be as long as 14 days. - Mod.MHJ]
Agriculture Minister Rosann Wowchuk expects this summer's wet weather will
result in additional anthrax infections. "It's always a concern when we
have an outbreak of a disease," Wowchuk said. However, "it's not unusual
for this to happen in these kinds of conditions when there's flooding and
it's very, very warm." It's possible Manitoba could see more infections
before winter, she said.
CFIA laboratories confirmed Manitoba cows died from anthrax exposure in
2003, 2001 and 2000.
The owner of the infected cattle called a veterinarian Sunday night after
discovering the dead animals. Tissue samples of one animal were sent to a
provincial laboratory in Winnipeg. The CFIA was contacted Tuesday morning
after preliminary tests showed evidence of anthrax, a reportable disease.
These samples were sent to the CFIA laboratory in Alberta Tuesday, the same
day the surviving herd was removed from the pasture believed to have
anthrax. They were quarantined elsewhere on the owner's property.
The cattle cannot be sold for human consumption for at least 6 weeks,
according to CFIA regulations. "The dead animals were buried and the ground
cleaned up around it," Luterbach said. The herd will remain in quarantine
for 30 days. "All unexpected deaths should be checked out to rule out the
chance of anthrax," Luterbach said. Infected animals need to be either
buried or burned to prevent future contamination. An anthrax vaccine is
available for cattle, sheep, horses, goats and swine.
The provincial government reminds livestock owners to consider vaccination
if their animals are grazing on pastures that were recently flooded or eroded.
[Byline: Marcy Nicholson]
--
Bob Parkinson
Regional GIS Specialist
Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration
Calgary, Canada
<partkinsonb@em.agr.ca>
[Ranchers in southern Manitoba would be wise to get their stock vaccinated
immediately, if that has not been done earlier this year. In the past there
were regular outbreaks in Southern Manitoba. As a result of recent changes
in the law, Manitoba ranchers can now buy the vaccine from their
veterinarians and vaccinate the animals themselves. This is markedly
cheaper and very effective in preventing the disease. - Mod.MHJ]
******
[2]
Date: 28 Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail<promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Canadian Press [edited]
<http://www.canada.com/news/story.html?id=c4f6809a-ad40-4bda-9e08-59ad6a32b76d>

Anthrax found in 8 dead cattle in south-central Manitoba
--------------------------------------------------
A suspected outbreak of anthrax has been reported in south-central Manitoba
where 8 cattle have died. The remaining 37 animals on a cow-calf ranch have
been quarantined for 30 days, said Dr. George Luterbach, chief veterinarian
in the West for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. "We were informed by
veterinary services that the examination of the tissues led them to suspect
anthrax," Luterbach said from Winnipeg on Wednesday. "We responded to the
farm and quarantined the herd. Tissue samples have been sent to a federal
lab for confirmation.
The surviving animals were being treated, Luterbach said. "The owner's
already taken some preventative action such as removing the animals from
the fields and the animals . . . will be vaccinated." They will not be sold
for human consumption for at least 6 weeks," he said.
High temperatures and humidity can expose the spores that carry the
disease, which usually doesn't spread from animal to animal. Many parts of
Manitoba have been deluged with rain this summer followed by warm
temperatures. There have been only a handful of cases in Manitoba in the
last 4 years. The infected farm is near Rock Lake, about 200 kilometres
southwest of Winnipeg, but officials were not releasing the precise location.
Also:
DOWJONES Cattlenetwork.com
<http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=6739>
CBS.CA Saskatchewan
<http://sask.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=anthrax050727&ref=rss>
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[It seems to be the summer for anthrax in North America. At this rate with
outbreaks in Manitoba, North Dakota, and South Dakota, we can expect cases
in Minnesota, unless they have taken advantage of the regional warning to
get their stock vaccinated beforehand and therefore successfully prevented
it. MN outbreaks are usually in the northwest corner of the state,
bordering both ND & MB. The MN & MB outbreaks are part of the same Roseau
River Drainage anthrax zone that was enzootic until recently, when the
vaccination policy was changed in both areas, thereby significantly
reducing the ranchers' costs. May I take this opportunity to remind
veterinarians and others that it is a waste of good Sterne vaccine to treat
simultaneously with antibiotics. Sterne vaccine is a live vaccine, and
therefore any circulating antibiotic in the cows' blood will kill any
germinating Sterne organisms as well as an incubating infection. So make
sure that any animals treated with antibiotic -- always a good idea if you
suspect that your herd is incubating disease -- are vaccinated some 7-10
days later, when the antibiotic levels are much reduced. - Mod.MHJ]

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