August 9, 2006

Ten more Canadian farms quarantined due to anthrax outbreak
 

The Canada Food Inspection Agency announced Tuesday (Aug 8) it has quarantined 10 more Saskatchewan farms due to an anthrax outbreak.

That brings the total number of quarantined farms to 123, and the total number of dead animals to 615. Most of the animals were cattle or bison.

The situation has become more serious as the number of dead animals have doubled over the past two weeks.

Authorities are holding information sessions across the province to create awareness of the disease among farmers. Farmers are also being advised to vaccinate their animals.

Most of the cases were on the east side of the Saskatchewan province.

Anthrax is an infection caused by bacteria in the soil. It mainly affects farm animals such as horses, cows and sheep, and is not a significant human health threat.

Dr. Sandra Stephens, a Saskatoon-based veterinary program specialist with the CFIA, said areas with an abundance of rain have particularly favourable conditions in which anthrax spores thrive.

As the soil dries, the buoyant spores that moved to the surface of the water are left on top of grazing land for animals to ingest. Anthrax spores are in the soil and they could be found throughout the prairies.

This disease is not transmissible from animal to animal, Dr. Stephens explained, adding that such outbreaks usually end when the ground freezes in fall.