Anthrax Found in Minnesota Cattle

ST. PAUL (WJON News) - Anthrax has been found in Minnesota cattle for the first time in more than a decade.

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The Minnesota Board of Animal Health says multiple cattle and a horse were diagnosed in Kittson County. The affected property has been quarantined, but officials are asking producers to make sure their livestock is up to date on anthrax vaccinations, especially in northwest Minnesota.

Dr. Katie Cornille oversees the Board’s bovine programs.

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. 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 is not a risk to people and typically occurs during the summer while livestock is grazing in pastures. The last anthrax outbreak in Minnesota was reported in 2013, in a cattle herd in Pennington County.

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