Anthrax response to infection in livestock

Summary

Anthrax is a serious, usually fatal diseasecaused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis.It occurs world-wide and can infect a widerange of domestic and wild animal speciesas well as humans.

In grazing livestock anthrax usuallypresents as the sudden death of one, or agroup of animals in a mob. Affected stockoften show few or no signs of ill healthbefore they die. In an outbreak situationthe disease may begin with the sporadicdeaths of single animals over a few days,building to dramatic losses in a very shorttime.

Topics in this Primefact include:

• What is anthrax?
• Anthrax is a notifiable disease
• General biosecurity duty
• What happens if anthrax isconfirmed?