State and county officials on Friday assured the public that an anthrax outbreak among cattle at a ranch near Gerlach posed no public health risk. There is no danger to the citizens of Gerlach or the surrounding area, Washoe District Health Officer Barbara Hunt said. This will not affect the water supply. The anthrax bacteria is common in the livestock industry, state Veterinarian David Thain said. This has been a livestock disease for eons, he said.
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by spore-forming bacteria.
Under the right conditions, Thain said the spores could survive in soil for decades. Outbreaks generally occur when the spores are brought to the surface and ingested by livestock. Heavy rains are the usual cause. In this case, officials believe the bacteria were spread onto pasture land when workers at the ranch cleaned out irrigation ditches. Thirty head of cattle died at the ranch near Gerlach, a small community on the edge of the Black Rock Desert 100 miles north of Reno.