An effective anthrax vaccine for livestock and horses can be purchased through private veterinary practitioners, feed stores, or animal health product distributors. The injection can be administered by private veterinary practitioners or rancher personnel and is recommended for:
livestock residing in or near an area where anthrax often occurs; and
animals that will be moved into the area, such as horses transported to trail rides.
When administering the vaccine, wear a long-sleeved shirt and use latex or work gloves to prevent skin contamination with this vaccine. Consult your physician for treatment if you stick yourself with a needle, splash vaccine in cuts or scratches, or if you develop a sore after handling vaccine or livestock.
During an outbreak, white-tailed deer often suffer the most from the disease, as they cannot be rounded up and handled like domestic or farmed exotic livestock.
If your veterinarian diagnoses anthrax, he will recommend that you burn the carcass. Thorough burning prevents contaminating the ground with anthrax bacteria. The Texas Animal Health Commission requires that property or livestock owners thoroughly burn the carcasses of animals that may have died from anthrax. To protect yourself, wear long sleeves and gloves, and do not move or open carcasses, as this could further release the bacteria into the environment, causing further disease to spread. Do not salvage hides, horns, antlers, or any other tissue from the carcasses.
If the animal was housed in a barn, burn the animal's bedding, manure, and the surrounding soil. To disinfect panels, trailers, or equipment, use an ammonia-based disinfectant, labeled as effective for anthrax. Follow label directions to prevent respiratory irritation. Pastures cannot be disinfected with chemicals. Due to environmental concerns, do not use heavy oils or tires to burn carcasses. Fuels permitted by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) include gasoline, diesel, or wood. Care should be taken to keep fires from getting out of control. In counties under a burn ban, burning must be coordinated with local fire authorities.
If possible, vaccinate and move healthy livestock to clean pastures, away from the carcasses.