AUSTIN (KXAN) — A rancher in southwest Texas was linked to an “unusual winter case of anthrax” following the butchering of an infected lamb in December 2023.
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, on Jan. 4, the rancher went to the hospital for fever, leukocytosis, a black eschar on his wrist, and extensive edema and blistered lesions on his arm.
Investigators determined anthrax to be the cause of his illness 11 days after he butchered a lamb that died unexpectedly on his ranch in December 2023.
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“Five people reported exposure to the lamb: the rancher who butchered the lamb; another person who seasoned and cooked the meat; and three other people who consumed the well-cooked meat. The rancher was the only one who exhibited symptoms consistent with anthrax,” the department said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anthrax is a rare but serious disease that can cause severe illness in animals and people.
“The bacteria that cause anthrax occur naturally in soil,” the CDC said. “In North America, anthrax outbreaks in animals typically occur in hot, dry summer months.”
The CDC said ranchers should keep livestock up to date with routine anthrax vaccination, and added that people should not butcher animals that die of unknown causes.
