Just when you thought the Panhandle couldn’t get more festive, regulators confirmed anthrax in a steer up in Briscoe County, a few miles north of Silverton. The case popped up December 31, because apparently even livestock wanted to end the year on a high note. The property is now quarantined, the carcass must be disposed of on-site, and everyone is being reminded—again—that anthrax can infect both animals and humans.
According to the Texas Animal Health Commission, this is the first anthrax case in Texas for 2026, though not exactly a novelty act around here. The disease has shown up in the Panhandle before, including Briscoe County in 2020 and 2023, even though it’s more commonly found downstate in a tidy little triangle near Uvalde, Ozona, and Eagle Pass. Translation: “Rare, but not that rare—please stop acting surprised.”
Officials say weather plays a role—wet and cool followed by hot and dry—which means spores can hang out in grass and hay, waiting patiently to ruin a steer’s week. Once symptoms show up (fever, bleeding, sudden death), things move fast. Producers are urged to vaccinate, watch closely, and call a vet if animals start dropping like it’s an Old West reenactment gone wrong.
And yes, there’s the usual public-health reminder: wear gloves, wash your hands, and maybe don’t poke suspicious carcasses barehanded. Zoonotic diseases are no joke, even if the setting feels very “only in the Panhandle.”
So to recap: drought, dust, and now anthrax—at this point, should we just start a punch card for regional calamities? One more and the next crisis is free.
https://www.kcbd.com/2026/01/06/officials-confirm-anthrax-briscoe-county-steer/