Another cow died from the same Westbury farm where anthrax has recently been confirmed. Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) said that testing for the deceased animal is currently in the works.
The second cow was found dead in Westbury on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The animal will be incinerated and efforts to restrict the area will continuously be implemented.
The animal has not been confirmed to have carried the anthrax bacteria. Authorities are still awaiting the results of the examinations but government officials said the event was something far from unexpected.
The Storridge farm case resulted in ongoing movement restrictions, as well as the closing down of a footpath, which is about a mile long, along the western part of Westbury. Such intervention was enforced to decrease the risk of possible disease transmission.
"It is in the same farm, with the same herd from the same pasture, so it is not unexpected," said a spokesperson from the APHA. He added that the farm and public prohibitions shall ensue as they continue their work of testing the rest of the animal populations in the farm.
APHA also said they will be collaborating with Defra, the Environment Agency and the Wiltshire Council to continue their investigations and ensure that the rest of the animals are protected.
Cattle and sheep typically succumb to death due to anthrax; however, carcasses may not manifest apparent indicators of the disease. The duration of clinical changes vary per animal and some may exhibit signs and symptoms of illness before death.
The first cow that died at the Wiltshire Farm was confirmed to have carried anthrax. The said case is a first in the UK since 2006. Government officials, however, said that no signs of human infections have been detected and that the risk of human contamination is low.
"The risk of infection in close human contacts of the animal is very low and we continue to work with PHE to monitor potential human contacts," the APHA spokesperson closed.
