UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 

 COLLESE OF AGRICULTURE 



BERKELEY H. E. VAN NORMAN. VICE-DI 



UNIVERSITY FARM SCHOOL, 



FACTS ABOUT ANTHRAX 



BY C. M. HARING 

 SEPTEMBER, 1917 



Anthrax attracts attention chiefly a~s a disease of farm animals. 

 Cattle, sheep, and horses are most susceptible, and it occasionally 

 occurs in swine, dogs, and cats which are allowed to eat anthrax car 

 casses. Men sometimes contract the disease, making the handling 

 of carcasses, raw hides or wool from anthrax animals very dangerous. 

 In fact, practically all warm-blooded animals may become infected 

 under certain conditions. 



Cause of and Conditions under. Which the Disease Is Liable to 

 Break Out. Anthrax is caused by a germ known as the bacterium 

 of anthrax. Bact. anthracis. Animals in the last stages of the disease 

 and those that die contain these bacteria in the blood and tissues of 

 the body. The bacteria find their way outside of the body and 

 infect the soil by the discharges from body openings, but especially 

 by the improper disposal of anthrax carcasses. These germs thrive 

 best and may exist indefinitely in swampy lands or in those subject 

 to periodical flooding. River bottom land, dried lake basins, poorly- 

 drained meadows, and tule lands are types of the localities most likely 

 to be infected with anthrax. The disease is most apt to occur during 

 hot, dry weather. In some localities it is spread by biting flies. In 

 cattle and sheep the bacteria enter the body from the soil with th j 

 food. 



Symptoms. Great variation in behavior is noted in different 

 affected animals. The disease usually kills very quickly, sometimes 

 the first indication of its existence being the discovery of dead animals, 

 while at other times they die in a few hours after sickness is noticed, 

 and then again they may be sick two to five days. Where a number 

 of animals are together several cases often develop at the same time. 

 The urine may be dark and the dung and discharges from the nose 

 bloody, but these are also symptoms of other diseases. In anthrax, 

 as in other acute infectious diseases, the animal shows a high tem- 

 perature, rapid breathing, increased heart action, trembling, cessation 

 of rumination, decreased or total stoppage of milk flow, drooping of 



