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Anthrax on Turner ranch prompts road closure

By JESSICA MAYRER Chronicle staff writer

A nine-mile stretch of Spanish Creek Road has been closed at the request of the Montana Department of Livestock after an outbreak of naturally-occurring anthrax that has killed approximately 80 domestic bison on Ted Turner’s Flying D Ranch.


 Now, with the sick bison quarantined, there is minimal risk to animals or people outside the closed-off area, DOL’s Steve Merritt said Monday.

“We feel that it’s really well confined,” Merritt said, and the soil on Turner’s ranch is being disinfected to kill the bacteria.

However, he predicted that more of Turner’s bison will likely fall ill.

“I’m sure that there will be more animals that succumb to the disease,” Merritt said.

In conjunction with the road closure, the Spanish Creek Trail will remain off limits, Marna Daley, Gallatin National Forest spokeswoman, said Monday.

“It looks like it will be a minimum of one week, but maybe more,” she said.

Anthrax may be spread from animals to humans, but a person must come in close contact with an infected carcass to get sick, Merritt said.

“The easiest way to get infected,” he said, “is through a cut in the skin.”

Anthrax bacteria grows in soil and grass after periods of wet and cool weather, according to the DOL. Signs of anthrax usually appear three to seven days after spores are inhaled or swallowed and include labored breathing, trembling and staggering. Once symptoms begin, animals usually die within two days.

Antibiotics, such as penicillin, are effective to combat anthrax if administered early enough. And a vaccination is available to prevent future livestock deaths.

While this is the first reported anthrax outbreak in Gallatin County, it’s important that people remember anthrax is a naturally occurring organism, he said.

“Every once in awhile it pops up,” Merritt said.

Montana has seen two other anthrax outbreaks since 2005, one in Roosevelt County one another in Sheridan County, he said. They were contained and did minimal damage.

Jessica Mayrer can be reached at jmayrer@dailychronicle.com

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