MELFORT, Sask. – Lloyd Haugerud sits at his kitchen table, a look of weary resignation on his face.
“I lost two more yesterday,” he said July 13, looking out the window across the road and into the grey clouds. “That’s 11.”
Haugerud only had 53 cattle when anthrax hit this area north of Melfort in late June.
Since then it’s been a constant war on an undetectable enemy as producers struggle to keep animals alive and burn and bury the dead.
As of July 17, 162 cattle, horses, bison and deer were dead in the worst anthrax outbreak in the province’s history. There’s no telling how many wild animals may also have died from inhaling the spores that can live in the soil for decades.
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Now the disease is starting to take its toll on people.
The first case of human skin anthrax was confirmed last week in a farmer in his 50s. The man had been in direct skin-to-skin contact with an animal that died from anthrax.
“He’s being treated. He’s fine. He was not hospitalized,” said the province’s chief medical health officer, Ross Findlater, emphasizing that anthrax is not spread from person to person.
But the disease is affecting people in other ways. They are exhausted from round-the-clock monitoring of herds, doctoring the sick and dealing with the dead.
Haugerud and his family vaccinated their cattle, sheep, horses and llama and planned to give the cattle booster shots.
They heard of the first death on Saturday, July 1, the day after they brought home a new Charolais bull.
“On Sunday, they started to die,” he said.
The bull was “still walking around” two weeks later but Haugerud wonders about the effects of too much penicillin.
He estimated it’s going to cost him $100 per week to feed orphaned calves. Haugerud is now looking for a job.
“Those $1,250 cows, they’re not very profitable lying out there on that fire,” he said.
His son Kevin took time off work to help out. He spent two full days of his summer vacation on a tractor lifting maggot-infested carcasses on to logs to be burned.
“I tried to stay upwind,” Kevin said, attempting to find some humour in the bleak situation.
The scene is the same throughout the region where farmyards and pastures are posted with signs warning of entry only with permission. Formaldehyde and hand wash sit at gates so producers can take precautions when going into pastures.
Forty-nine premises were under quarantine as of July 17. The quarantines will remain in place for 21 days if there are no further losses.
The disease generally hit bulls first, then older cows, then younger bulls. Few calves have been lost.
Breeding programs have been affected in pastures where bulls died first. Because of the quarantines, live animals can’t be moved.
Producers are worried about the resulting stress on their pastures. They are also two weeks behind in their haying.
Haugerud said he has encountered a few odd comments about the outbreak. Some worry that those from affected farms will spread anthrax on their shoes when they go into Melfort. Some suggested the problem was Iraq, spreading anthrax to wipe out the food supply.
Others worried about the safety of their water supply and whether they could catch anthrax from a horsefly bite.
“We need more education,” Haugerud observed.
He said if the problem persists and the quarantines remain in place, many people won’t be able to pick wild blueberries this year. That’s when it could hit home for those who aren’t directly affected.
Still, he said, when the outbreak is over he intends to rebuild his herd.
“I’ll just have to buy cheaper ones this time,” he said.
MELFORT, Sask. Ñ Lloyd Haugerud sits at his kitchen table, a look of weary resignation on his face.
ÒI lost two more yesterday,Ó he said July 13, looking out the window across the road and into the grey clouds. ÒThatÕs 11.Ó
Haugerud only had 53 cattle when anthrax hit this area north of Melfort in late June.
Since then itÕs been a constant war on an undetectable enemy as producers struggle to keep animals alive and burn and bury the dead.
As of July 17, 162 cattle, horses, bison and deer were dead in the worst anthrax outbreak in the provinceÕs history. ThereÕs no telling how many wild animals may also have died from inhaling the spores that can live in the soil for decades.
Now the disease is starting to take its toll on people.
The first case of human skin anthrax was confirmed last week in a farmer in his 50s. The man had been in direct skin-to-skin contact with an animal that died from anthrax.
ÒHeÕs being treated. HeÕs fine. He was not hospitalized,Ó said the provinceÕs chief medical health officer, Ross Findlater, emphasizing that anthrax is not spread from person to person.
But the disease is affecting people in other ways. They are exhausted from round-the-clock monitoring of herds, doctoring the sick and dealing with the dead.
Wearing down
Haugerud and his family vaccinated their cattle, sheep, horses and llama and planned to give the cattle booster shots.
They heard of the first death on Saturday, July 1, the day after they brought home a new Charolais bull.
ÒOn Sunday, they started to die,Ó he said.
The bull was Òstill walking aroundÓ two weeks later but Haugerud wonders about the effects of too much penicillin.
He estimated itÕs going to cost him $100 per week to feed orphaned calves. Haugerud is now looking for a job.
ÒThose $1,250 cows, theyÕre not very profitable lying out there on that fire,Ó he said.
His son Kevin took time off work to help out. He spent two full days of his summer vacation on a tractor lifting maggot-infested carcasses on to logs to be burned.
ÒI tried to stay upwind,Ó Kevin said, attempting to find some humour in the bleak situation.
The scene is the same throughout the region where farmyards and pastures are posted with signs warning of entry only with permission. Formaldehyde and hand wash sit at gates so producers can take precautions when going into pastures.
Forty-nine premises were under quarantine as of July 17. The quarantines will remain in place for 21 days if there are no further losses.
The disease generally hit bulls first, then older cows, then younger bulls. Few calves have been lost.
Breeding programs have been affected in pastures where bulls died first. Because of the quarantines, live animals canÕt be moved.
Producers are worried about the resulting stress on their pastures. They are also two weeks behind in their haying.
Haugerud said he has encountered a few odd comments about the outbreak. Some worry that those from affected farms will spread anthrax on their shoes when they go into Melfort. Some suggested the problem was Iraq, spreading anthrax to wipe out the food supply.
Others worried about the safety of their water supply and whether they could catch anthrax from a horsefly bite.
ÒWe need more education,Ó Haugerud observed.
He said if the problem persists and the quarantines remain in place, many people wonÕt be able to pick wild blueberries this year. ThatÕs when it could hit home for those who arenÕt directly affected.
Still, he said, when the outbreak is over he intends to rebuild his herd.
ÒIÕll just have to buy cheaper ones this time,Ó he said.
