A rash of recent anthrax cases in Texas may have one common cause: horse flies. There have been 18 identified cases of anthrax so far this year in horses, goats, deer and cattle—this number far exceeds the two or three cases a year Texas generally sees.
Anthrax can be found in soils around the world; many horses become infected by grazing areas where anthrax is present. Horses that ingest anthrax spores may have no appetite, colic, have a fever and tremble; they may also have seizures, stagger or have difficulty breathing. Most horses affected with ingested anthrax die within 24 hours of symptom onset. An anthrax vaccine is available; a horse diagnosed with anth
rax is typically treated with penicillin or doxycycline.
Once an animal is infected with anthrax, the disease can spread through their bodily fluids, meat and hide. Horse flies are known anthrax vectors, but their role in the spread of the disease is not clear. The horse fly population in Texas is extremely high this year; this elevated number is believed to be from the high amounts of rain, which has created an ideal environment for them. Though horsefly populations may wane as temperatures rise, they may spike again in the fall when temperatures drop.
Because horse flies have a relatively small range in which they fly, just 5 to 10 miles, scientists don’t expect anthrax to spread very far from where it has already been detected, which is a region of southwest Texas
Though researchers cannot confirm beyond a doubt that the increase in the horse fly population plays a role in the spike in anthrax cases, it is something they want to learn more about.
Read more at HorseTalk.
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