Two ranches in Sutton County, Texas have laboratory-confirmed cases of anthrax in horses, deer and cattle, and laboratory results are pending for several other sites in the county, where livestock and deer losses have been reported. Although this bacterial disease occurs almost yearly in this region of the state, cases have not been confirmed within Sutton County for more than 20 years.

According to Dr. Thurman Fancher, all livestock in an infected area should be vaccinated to prevent potential losses. Dr. Fancher, director of Area 6 (West Texas) for the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) warns, however, there is no effective, approved manner to deliver anthrax vaccine to grazing wildlife that cannot be captured and confined. The deer population, therefore, constitute a temporary reservoir for infection.

"When an infected animal dies, the ground becomes contaminated with the spores of Bacillus anthracis bacteria, unless the carcass and soil are purified with a very hot fire. Even though spores do not multiply or spread underground, they can lie dormant in soil for decades, awaiting the perfect combination of weather and soil conditions to become vegetative. Animals then are exposed to the disease when they eat grass contaminated with the bacteria."

In humans, occasionally exposure to infected carcasses and waste can cause a nasty, black sore that requires medical attention and antibiotics. General sanitation procedures should be followed after handling livestock, and equipment used on the animals should be disinfected. Pets should be kept from dead carcasses or bones of dead animals, which may pose a disease risk.