Livestock and wildlife on ranches west of San Antonio suffered from an anthrax outbreak this past summer, but that anthrax threat was different from the scare in Florida, Texas scientists said.

Anthrax can kill a horse or cow in just 48 hours, but that kind of anthrax rarely is transported from animal to human.

Animals get the disease from grazing in soil contaminated by the bacteria. To be at risk, ranchers would need to have close contact with a sick animal.

"These people acquire the infection through their skin, and they develop blisters and ulcerations," University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center researcher Dr. Bill Lloyd said.

Lloyd said that animal anthrax is completely different from the deadly case in Florida, where a man apparently inhaled spores infected with anthrax, although it is not known how or when he became infected.

"You don't get anthrax from another person," Lloyd said. "You don't get it from touching another object. Human anthrax is inhaled."

The doctor said that there would have to be a high concentration of anthrax in the air for a person to become infected. The incubation period is two to 43 days, which means some people either feel ill quickly and others may not feel the effects for several weeks.

"You'll start experiencing a high fever and a cough. You'll be short of breath and experience chest pain as well," Lloyd said.

Emergency room and family doctors across the country have been alerted about anthrax. National health officials have told them to keep an eye out for clusters of patients with high fevers or other symptoms.

Anthrax can be treated effectively with antibiotics, if it's caught in time.

Additional Resource:

• World Anthrax Data Site