Wyoming Anthrax Outbreak: What You Need to Know About the Deadly Disease

Anthrax, a deadly bacterial disease considered a potential bioweapon, has killed dozens of animals in Wyoming. People are being urged to exercise caution as experts investigate the state's first outbreak in decades, writes Forbes.

Photo: CreativeEndeavors | Dreamstime.com

The Wyoming State Veterinary Lab has confirmed a case of anthrax in a dead elk in Carbon County, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said in a statement.

It is the first confirmed case of the deadly bacterial disease in wildlife in Wyoming in decades. The previous case was reported in 1956. The state agency said the dead elk is “the only documented case reported in wildlife to date.”

Anthrax has been found in cattle in Carbon County, the first confirmed case in the region since the 1970s, officials said.

On the subject: WHO has published a list of viruses that can cause a new pandemic

The Wyoming State Veterinary Lab confirmed the diagnosis in late August and said anthrax had been found in cattle from several herds in the Elk Mountain area.

State veterinarian Holly Hasel told Cowboy State Daily that at least 50 cattle have died from anthrax. She warned that the toll could rise. Hasel said the outbreak appears to be limited to the region. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department said it will “continue to monitor the situation.”

Is anthrax dangerous to humans?

While human cases are rare, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said precautions are warranted in light of recent events. To limit the risk of anthrax, state officials have advised hunters and others to stay away from dead livestock or wildlife they encounter, avoid hunting sickly-looking animals, avoid picking up roadkill in the Elk Mountain area, and wear gloves when handling hunted game. The department advises owners of dogs, horses, and other pets to keep them away from any carcasses they may encounter, and urges anyone who finds a dead wildlife animal to record its location and report it to authorities. Experts and health organizations advise seeking medical attention if anthrax is suspected. Antibiotics may be prescribed as a form of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent anthrax from developing if symptoms have not developed.

What is anthrax

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans, and its presence in both livestock and wildlife means there is a risk to humans too. Human anthrax is relatively rare, particularly in countries such as the US, but is serious and is rapidly fatal in most cases without prompt treatment with antibiotics. There are four types of anthrax: cutaneous, injection, inhalation and gastrointestinal. They occur when the bacteria enter the skin or are injected, inhaled or ingested. More than 90% of cases are cutaneous anthrax, which is contracted if spores enter cuts or abrasions while handling infected animals or contaminated animal products such as hide, wool or hair. This form of anthrax is considered the least dangerous, but around a fifth of patients still die without treatment. But almost everyone who is properly treated with antibiotics survives, with symptoms such as itchy skin, blisters, sores, and swelling appearing around the site of infection about one to seven days after infection. The antibiotics most commonly used to treat anthrax, ciprofloxacin and doxycycline, are readily available and widely used in medicine.

It is virtually impossible to eliminate or control an anthrax threat in a given area once it has occurred. These features, along with the ability to spread the bacteria as an aerosol, make anthrax an ideal candidate for use as a weapon in biological warfare. It is well known that many countries have studied the possibility of using anthrax as a weapon. Although some have admitted to developing weaponized strains, no country has used them. Officials fear that anthrax could be weaponized by terrorists, such as by sending it in letters within letters. The agency says that anthrax is “one of the biological agents most likely to be used” in a bioterrorist attack.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New Y

Amazing fact

Scientists and doctors recently discovered a unique form of anthrax among people who inject heroin in Northern Europe. Symptoms of injection anthrax are similar to cutaneous anthrax, but may include infection deep under the skin or in the muscle where the drug was injected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This form may spread more quickly through the body and may be harder to recognize than the cutaneous form.

The CDC is also warning about another anthrax disease, called welder's anthrax. The agency said that "a newly identified rare illness... has been found in several people who are welders or metalworkers." The CDC said it can cause severe pneumonia and be fatal, and urges welders and metalworkers who "develop fever and chills with sudden cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or coughing up blood to seek immediate medical attention."

Read also on ForumDaily:

The incidence of cancer among young people has increased: scientists have named the reason

Leprosy is spreading in Florida: you can get it from people and armadillos

There is an outbreak of whooping cough at a popular resort: 2 people died, more than 50 fell ill

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.