Unusually severe weather this summer continues to create unusually severe health conditions. The latest addition to the list is an outbreak of anthrax in Manitoba in central Canada, where a combination of abnormally wet followed by abnormally hot weather is believed to have stirred up anthrax spores that lay dormant in the earth.

Canadian TV’s web site has a detailed report on the outbreak, which is believed to be the cause of death for 52 animals so far this summer, including a horse.

Anthrax is a highly contagious disease that is transmitted by spores, and can be spread to humans by infected animals.

Occasional outbreaks of anthrax are common after extreme weather patterns. The outbreaks usually happen in remote areas where cattle graze. If it happened in a densely populated area, the impact to both humans and animals might be quite different.

Apparently there is a vaccination for anthrax, but the Canadian farmers felt it was too expensive to vaccinate their cattle.