Wyoming
Anthrax Outbreak In Wyoming Sparks Health Warning—Here’s What To Know
Topline
An outbreak of anthrax—a deadly bacterial disease feared as a potential bioweapon—among cattle and wildlife in Wyoming has killed dozens of animals, and health officials are urging people to take care as experts investigate what marks the first outbreak of its kind in the state in decades.
Dozens of cattle have died due to anthrax in Wyoming.
Key Facts
The Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory has confirmed a case of anthrax in a dead moose in Carbon County, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said in a statement.
The discovery marks the first time the deadly bacterial disease has been confirmed in wildlife in Wyoming in decades—the last case was reported in 1956—and the state agency said the moose is “the only documented case reported in wildlife at this time.”
Anthrax has also been found in nearby cattle in Carbon County, officials said, the first confirmed infections in Wyoming cattle since the 1970s.
The Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory confirmed the diagnosis in late August and said anthrax had been found in cattle from multiple herds around the Elk Mountain region.
Wyoming State Veterinarian Hallie Hasel told Cowboy State Daily at least 50 cattle have died due to anthrax, warning that losses may climb as officials determine the full extent of the outbreak.
Hasel said the outbreak appears to be limited to a localized region at this time and the Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department said it “will continue to monitor the situation and assess impacts to wildlife.”
Does Anthrax Pose A Risk To Humans?
Though “human cases are rare,” Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department said “precautions are warranted” in light of the outbreak. To limit the risk of anthrax exposure, Wyoming officials advised hunters and the public to stay away from any dead cattle or wildlife they encounter, to avoid harvesting sick-looking animals and to avoid picking up any roadkill in the Elk Mountain area, as well as to wear gloves while field dressing or handling harvested animals. The agency also advised owners of dogs, horses and other pets to keep the animals away from any carcasses they might encounter and urged anyone encountering dead wildlife to take a note of its location and report the findings. Health experts and organizations recommend seeking medical attention if anthrax exposure is suspected and antibiotics can be given as a form of post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, to prevent anthrax from developing if symptoms haven’t developed.
Key Background
Anthrax is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can jump from animals to humans, and its discovery in both livestock and wildlife in Wyoming means there is a risk to humans. Human anthrax infections are relatively rare, especially in countries like the United States, but are serious and often rapidly fatal without prompt treatment with antibiotics. There are four types of anthrax—cutaneous, injection, inhalation and gastrointestinal—which occur when the bacteria enter through the skin, an injection, are breathed in or are eaten. More than 90% are cutaneous (skin) anthrax, which can happen after spores enter through cuts or grazes when handling infected animals or contaminated animal products like hides, wool or hair. It is considered the least dangerous form of anthrax and around a fifth of patients will still die without treatment. But almost all treated properly with antibiotics will survive with symptoms like itchy skin, blisters, sores and swelling appearing around the infection site around one to seven days after exposure. The antibiotics most commonly used to treat anthrax—ciprofloxacin and doxycycline—are readily available and widely used throughout medicine.
Tangent
While anthrax is an infectious disease, it is not contagious and does not spread between people or animals. Infections primarily occur in mammals—often wild and domestic herbivores like sheep, cows, goats and deer—as well as some bird species. It almost always arises following environmental exposure and the durable nature of the spores mean it is practically impossible to eliminate or control the threat of anthrax in a given area once it is established. These features, along with the ability to disperse it as an aerosol, also make anthrax an ideal candidate for biological warfare. It is well-documented that many countries have explored the possibility of weaponizing anthrax and while some have admitted developing weaponized strains, no country is known to have deployed any. Officials worry anthrax could be deployed by non-state actors like terrorist groups, such as through letter attacks, and the CDC says anthrax is “one of the biological agents most likely to be used” in a bioterrorist attack.
Surprising Fact
Experts appear to be discovering new ways anthrax can manifest in humans, though examples are exceedingly rare. Scientists and clinicians used to believe only cutaneous, inhalation and gastrointestinal anthrax were possible in humans, though they recently discovered a distinct form of anthrax among heroin-injecting drug users in northern Europe. Symptoms for injection anthrax are similar to cutaneous anthrax but can include an infection deep under the skin or in the muscle where the drug was injected, the CDC says, and it can spread faster through the body and be harder to recognize than the cutaneous form. The CDC also warns of another anthrax disease: welder’s anthrax. The agency said the “newly identified and rare disease… has been found in several people who are welders or metalworkers.” It can cause severe pneumonia and be fatal, the CDC said, urging welders or metalworkers who develop “fever and chills with sudden cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or coughing up blood, see a healthcare provider immediately.”
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Further Reading
JACKSON, Wyo. – Jackson Hole Public Art (JHPA) is proud to announce the
public installation of 250 Portraits, a community art project featuring self-portraits created and submitted by Wyoming residents from across the state. Launched in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the project invited Wyomingites of all ages and backgrounds to submit portraits of themselves or other Wyoming residents, resulting in a vibrant and deeply personal collection of artwork.
Portraits were submitted by artists ranging in age from 5 to over 80, representing residents from 16 of Wyoming’s 23 counties. Participants included individuals, families, school groups, and educators who worked with their students to take part. The result is a wide-ranging snapshot of the people who call Wyoming home, from young children just beginning to express themselves through art to lifelong residents reflecting on decades of experience and identity.
The portraits are now on display in five large-scale grid installations located throughout downtown Jackson. They can be found at the Center for the Arts, JH Book Trader, the Antler Inn, the alley at Pinky G’s, and the Jackson Hole Elks Lodge. The exhibition will remain on view throughout the summer, giving locals and visitors alike the opportunity to take in the full collection at their own pace.
The exhibit, 250 Portraits, was designed to highlight both individual identity and collective belonging, weaving together faces from communities large and small into a single, statewide visual portrait of Wyoming’s people. By placing the work in accessible, high-traffic locations in downtown Jackson, JHPA hopes to spark conversation among residents and visitors about what it means to be part of a community that spans such a wide and varied landscape.
A self-guided walking map is available to help visitors navigate between the five sites and experience other public art projects throughout Jackson. For more information and to access the 2026 Public Art Map, visit https://www.jhpublicart.org/art/2026map.
Pair your portrait with an audio story! Please consider adding your voice to another state-wide project celebrating the stories of everyday Wyomingites: Re-Storying the West.
All over Wyoming, there are little free libraries in neighborhoods for those who are looking for a new book. The process is simple. Take a book and leave one for others to experience.
READ MORE: Wyoming’s Little Libraries
We also have neighborhood food pantries for families in a pinch who need a little help. Again, the process is easy. Take a meal, and when you’re able, leave one for another family in need.
READ MORE: A New Local Neighborhood Food Pantry System in Wyoming
Several of the North Platte River’s access points have loaner life jackets. Once again, it’s simple. If you need a life jacket, take one, then return it to another access point for others who need it.
READ MORE: Return The Loaner Life Jackets After You Use Them
These are fantastic programs across the state that show how much communities care about others. I found another program that I think would really fly here, and it’s already going strong in some places around the country, like Montana.
The process, just like these other programs, is simple but very effective. With Wyoming fisheries being so popular, these could help make it an even bigger global sensation.
Flybrary – Take a fly, leave a fly.
I saw this article on FlyLordsMag.com and thought it was fantastic.
Montana artist Brandi Massey is passionate about fly fishing, and she used her own experience of leaving her fly box at home when leaving for a fly fishing trip. After that experience, she remembered seeing a “Flybrary” on her social media timeline and decided to jump into action and do her own version of the “Flybrary” to ensure other fly fishing trips don’t get ruined because of not having any flies.
She had her dad build the box, got her permits, and put up her first “Flybrary” on the Blackfoot River, and has more in the works.
In the article, Brandi explained why she decided to do it.
I’ve been fly fishing since I could hold a fly pole in my hand. Always trying to catch more fish than my dad. I love the fly fishing community and this is a great way to stay connected to the community. I’m an artist and this is an amazing way to show a piece of myself to the world.
Have you ever seen a “Flybrary” out in the wild? LET ME KNOW HERE
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