North Dakota Battling Cattle Anthrax Crisis: 25 Confirmed Cases Spark Concerns
North Dakota’s Department of Agriculture has confirmed 25 cases of cattle anthrax this year, making it the most cases the state has seen since 2005.
In total, the disease has already been linked to the deaths of over 300 cattle, horses, bison, and sheep in the state, causing a financial strain for both ranchers and farmers.
Anthrax is caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis, which is a spore-forming bacterium that can live in the ground for decades.
In North Dakota, infected cattle have been grazing where anthrax spores have been detected in the soil.
Natural outbreaks of anthrax among livestock don’t pose a severe risk to humans unless they are handling carcass-affected livestock.
The weaponized version of anthrax,
