I know this is going to probably turn out to be a really goofy qustion but...Has anybody got any information on whether it is true that goats have (a long time ago) been a carrier of Anthrax. I heard it on the news and just wondered if anyone knows if that is even true. I heard that it was from their hair and not the urine or feces. I am not worried ....just curious what the deal is with this.

-- Carol Anderson (wande333@earthlink.net), November 28, 2001

Answers

Response to Disease Carrier

check older questions,,, anthrax is EVERYWHERE,, every bit of soil as it,,any place that something has died,, has it.

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), November 28, 2001.

Response to Disease Carrier

Sheep are especially good historical transmitters of Anthrax spoors. Anthrax of the skin was and probably still is in certain areas of the world a not uncommon disease. I would expect all farm animals have the propensity to carry Anthrax spoors in their hair.

-- Joe (CactusJoe001@AOL.com), November 28, 2001.

Contact Anthrax has long been known by the common name of Wool Sorter's Disease, contracted from sheep's wool in the garment/rug industry and goat as well. There are still a good three dozen cases per year from this source over in eastern europe. It is treated with antibiotics and little hysteria, and recovery w/treatment has a very high success rate (comparable to any other common disease).

-- someone (down@home.com), November 29, 2001.

I recall when i first heard of this shortly after the first anthrax scare that goats carried it I was angry. I thought at the time this is another one of those, "Goats eat tin can stigmas!" I did some research and found that not only can goats carry it, but sheep, cattle, horses and dogs. May have been a few other animals listed there but I can't recall.

I read a few posts on the goat lists at yahoogroups that there we several reported cases in the US in the past few yrs but nothing noteworthy. Then I also read this post about a horse that died from anthrax in CA not too long ago. The horse was eaten by a couger who later died, upon investigation they discovered that a horse had died from it and it from a sore that was on his back. The owner got a lambs wool balnket to put over the back when riding. The blanket was made in Afghanistan and was from sheep with anthrax in the wool.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), December 04, 2001.

Deer (closest known living relative of Goats) are also carriers of anthrax.... it stays in the soil... a couple ranches in SW Texas had a run with it a few years back... it ran through the Deer and then through some of their horses... the outbreak died down awhile after that... I'm sure it'll pop back up when the conditions are right... just one of those things I guess... :) Lesa a.k.a. porch

-- Lesa Kosteck (porchswinger2000@yahoo.com), January 06, 2002.