Third case of anthrax in U.S. this year confirmed as goat in Texas tests positive: Animal health officials quarantine affected area
A goat in Edwards County, Texas, has tested positive for anthrax, marking the second confirmed case in the state this year and the third nationally. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has quarantined the affected property.
Details of the Edwards County case
TAHC officials confirmed anthrax in a Spanish goat on a premises in Edwards County, according to the agency. The property, about 12 miles southwest of Rocksprings, Texas, has been placed under quarantine. TAHC rules require affected carcasses to be properly disposed of on-site before the quarantine can be lifted.
The Texas Animal Health Commission told Newsweek that only one domestic animal is known to have been affected. The agency said it routinely conducts foreign animal disease investigations across Texas and encourages livestock owners in areas with a history of anthrax to monitor their herds and take preventive measures.
Texas’s first case and the ‘Anthrax Triangle’
The Edwards County goat is the second confirmed anthrax case in Texas this year. The state’s first case was confirmed in a steer in Briscoe County, about five miles north of Silverton in the Texas Panhandle.
Dr. Bud Dinges, TAHC state veterinarian and executive director, said zoonotic diseases like anthrax pose a risk to animal and human health. He urged producers to monitor and vaccinate susceptible animals, reduce human exposure and consult a veterinary practitioner.
Edwards County sits within a region of Southwest Texas known as the “Anthrax Triangle.” The area is bounded by Uvalde, Ozona and Eagle Pass and includes portions of Val Verde, Sutton, Kinney, Crockett and Maverick counties. Spores of Bacillus anthracis can remain dormant in the soil for years or decades before environmental conditions trigger new outbreaks.
Dr. Bud Dinges said in a statement addressing this year’s cases: “With the weather we’ve experienced in Texas this year, in areas where anthrax has historically been found, we encourage monitoring and vaccinating susceptible animals. This case is a great reminder that the disease has historically been found in Texas soil. A veterinarian-client relationship can help advise on prevention for animals prior to exposure.”
What anthrax is and how it spreads
Anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming organism found naturally in soil worldwide, including parts of Texas. The bacteria most commonly affect grazing and browsing animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, horses and wild and exotic deer. Animals typically become infected by inhaling or swallowing spores while grazing on contaminated soil, plants or water.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people can become infected when anthrax spores enter a cut in the skin, are inhaled or are consumed in contaminated food or water. Anthrax is not generally spread from person to person. Early antibiotic treatment is important because the disease can become severe or fatal if left untreated.
Animals exposed to anthrax typically develop symptoms within three to seven days. Death can occur within 48 hours once signs appear. Acute fever, sudden death, weakness, staggering, difficulty breathing and bloody discharge from body openings are among the most recognizable signs in livestock.
Weather patterns linked to outbreaks
TAHC has said increases in anthrax cases commonly follow periods of wet, cool weather followed by prolonged hot and dry conditions. These circumstances can allow spores to contaminate surface soil and vegetation consumed by livestock and wildlife.
The Edwards County case follows a period when parts of Texas experienced significant rainfall and flooding before returning to high heat and dry conditions, a pattern historically associated with anthrax activity in the region.
Human exposure in Texas addressed
Texas health officials said there have been no human anthrax cases reported in the state this year. A spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) told Newsweek that contact with the infected Edwards County goat was limited to the animal’s owner and a veterinarian. Both used personal protective equipment while handling the livestock.
“There were no human exposures requiring post-exposure prophylaxis,” the DSHS spokesperson told Newsweek.
The spokesperson added that state officials had not issued a health advisory because no human exposures were identified, the remaining animals on the property remain under quarantine and “the risk to the general public remains low.” The spokesperson also emphasized that the outbreak involves naturally occurring anthrax in an area where the bacteria is endemic in the soil.