The Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirmed the state’s first anthrax case in more than a decade.
According to a release, the anthrax outbreak in Kittson County is affecting multiple cattle and a horse.
The board has quarantined the effective property, urging producers to keep their livestock up to date on anthrax vaccinations.
“One of the reasons we don’t see a lot of anthrax cases in the state anymore is because we have proactive measures to protect livestock like vaccinations,” said Dr. Katie Cornille, who oversees the Board’s bovine programs.
“With this detection in Kittson County, livestock producers who graze their animals on pasture in and around the county should talk to their veterinarian about vaccinating their animals if they aren’t already.”
Anthrax in animals typically occurs in summer and affects livestock grazing on pasture. Anthrax is caused by a spore-forming bacterium called Bacillus anthracis, which can emerge in greater concentrations after rainstorms, flooding or excavation.
The disease has been concentrated in northwest Minnesota in the past.
