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A SWAN Hill property remains in quarantine after confirmed cases of anthrax were found among dead sheep last week.
More than 30 sheep have died at the farm that which was quarantined by Agriculture Victoria last week.
Victoria’s chief veterinary officer Charles Milne said the disease was discovered after a farmer asked his vet to perform a post mortem on a sheep that had died suddenly.
“The farmer had an increasing mortality of sheep on his farm, he put an animal into his vet clinic for post mortem and samples taken found anthrax, which was reported to me,” Dr Milne said.
“We quarantined the property on Friday evening. Quarantines stay in place until we are confident the vaccine has given the animals protective immunity.
“The minimum time is 20 days after vaccination or 20 days after the last case if there is a case after vaccination. We have had some cases after vaccination.”
Dr Milne said he had a full laboratory confirmation of anthrax on one sheep.
He said another 33 sheep also died at the property but were unable to be tested and the carcasses destroyed.
“We also had an animal yesterday that died which was confirmed (as anthrax) with a field test,” he said.
“Another animal died overnight but I am awaiting further test results (before confirming it as anthrax).”
Dr Milne said it was important to remind the public that anthrax was not contagious and rarely spread between animals and humans.
“This isn't something where there is risk to the general public. You need really close contact with carcasses. It’s abattoir workers, knackery workers and vets who tend to get issues, which is a skin infection that is readily controlled by antibiotics,” he said.
“The method of infection is when an animal dies and their blood becomes exposed to oxygen, it forms very resistant spores that form in the soil.
“When those spores are exposed animals acquire an infection, usually by ingestion of those spores. There's very little nose-to-nose spread.
“It isn't like foot and mouth disease or other big infectious diseases. The only restrictions are in the movements of animals on or off of the premises.”
Dr Milne said the quarantined farm has not moved animals off or on the property within the risk period.
“There is no evidence of spreading from that premises,” he said.