An anthrax outbreak on four farms near Tolstoi has left 28 cattle and one horse dead.
Officials with the Canada Food inspection Agency said the numbers may rise.
Farmers in the area are being encouraged to vaccinate their herds and to consult with their veterinarian if animals are found dead with no illness detected.
Dr. Sandra Stephens, a disease control specialist with the CFIA in Saskatoon said that since the disease can spread when anthrax spores are exposed to air, it is important to not open the carcass and to prevent scavenger animals from spreading the infection.
Deep burial is the generally accepted means of disposing of the carcass. Bodies are sometimes burned, but because of the high fire hazard in eastern Manitoba that method is not permitted right now.
Dr. Wayne Lees, the province’s chief veterinary officer, said that since the anthrax infection spreads quickly through the bloodstream, animals rarely show symptoms long enough to allow for early detection.
Anthrax cases have been very sporadic in the province. Last year there were 36 cases. There were none in 2004, three in ’03 and four in ’01.
Under the federal Health of Animals Act, anthrax cases must be reported to the CFIA and there is strict enforcement of quarantine of herds and proper disposal of the carcasses.
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