The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-08-20
CATTLE LOSS
l IS HEAVY
From Anthrax Which is Be-
coming Epidemic
n SOME PORTIONS OF THE STATE
Being Particularly Bad in and
About YdnktOn County

& Anthrax has broken out in a num-
Der of counties in the southern part
Of the state and horses and cattle are
dying daily from the disease in num-
; Der of localities people have ceased to
use milk and cream, and very little
fresh meat is being consumed Owing
to this outbreak brief account of the
disease will be of interest. It is due,
says DR.. Moore the college veterinarian
to the presence within the animal body
Of a small specific rod-shaped organism,
the bacillus anthracis. The relation.
ship of this organism to the disease
was demonstrated as long ago as 1850
by Devaine. The bacillus grows readi-
ly in the presence of oxygen, producing
spores which are exceedingly resistant
to the extremes of heat and cold. Once
distributed in the soil the germs re-
q tain their vitality for long time, be-
ing capable of reproducing the disease
I Indefinitely. Soils and seasons are
therefore important factors in the ap-
pearance of this disease A glance at
the history of the recent outbreaks in
this state will show the anthrax espec-
tally appears in the late summer or
early fall, following a damp season in
the spring. The germs are brought up
to the surface and distributed by the
rise of the water level due to the early
rains, and then the subsequent drying
of swamps, ponds and lakes renders
the now virulent soil available for pas
turage.
Anthrax occurs in nearly all of the
domestic animals as well as man, al
though swine and dogs do not contract
1t so readily. 1t is then more particu.
larly disease of the herbivora.
In the lower animals the disease may
run it's course in few hours, the AMI.
NAL dying before the owner knows that
1t is sick. Briefly the symptoms may
be enumerated as follows: The ami
aal sickens suddenly, there is mark
ed elevation of the temperature, the
mucous membranes of the eyes, nose,
etc, become of dusky brownish or
purpleish color, the blood is of dark
tarry color and does not coagulate
readily, bleeding from the natural open
ing of the body, such as mouth, ETC., is
of frequent occurrence. In cases run
ming longer course swellingS may ap-
pear on the various parts of the body,
but these are firm and solid and do
not crackle on handling as do the
swellings of blackleg. The death rate
runs from so to 100 per cent. Toward
the end of an outbreak many cases
recover.
The disease also assumes different
forms in man. AS occurring in this
state from accidental incubation
through the skinning or otherwise
handling of anthrax carcasses it is
known as malignant pustule. In this
form of the disease the death rate may
be from 20 to 80 per cent.
Prevention and restriction of the
disease can be sought only along the
lines of general police sanitation. This
would include the removal of nOn-in-
fected animals from anthrax localities
when possible, the quarantine of af-
fected localities to prevent the spread
of disease, the cremation rather than
the burial of all anthrax carcasses, and
the immunization of those susceptible
animals in the vicinity of an outbreak.
The latter object is accomplished
through the injection Of attenuated or
weakened anthrax bacilli in the
system of the susceptible animal, after
the more familiar method of smallpox
vaccination.