Anthrax has killed over 50 animals in Wyoming — what's the risk to people?

An outbreak of naturally occurring anthrax has killed at least 50 Animals, including cattle and a moose, in Wyoming.

In a statement released Sept. 3, the Wyoming Livestock Board confirmed that "multiple beef herds" in Carbon County, near Elk Mountain, had contracted anthrax — the first confirmed cases of the disease in Wyoming cattle since the 1970s. The same day, in a statement on its website, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed a case of anthrax in a dead moose in Carbon County. It has been almost 70 years since an anthrax case in wildlife has been reported in the state, department officials wrote.

Speaking to local outlet Cowboy State Daily on Sept. 4, State Veterinarian Dr. Hallie Hasel confirmed that the anthrax cattle outbreak had killed "approximately 50 to 60" Animals. She added that the outbreak is currently "localized" but that investigations are ongoing.

Here's what we know about the anthrax outbreak so far.

Related: 'Zombie' anthrax outbreak in Siberia: How does it kill?

What is anthrax?

Anthrax is an infectious disease that is caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis.

The bacteria are found naturally in the environment worldwide. Their spores can remain dormant for decades, occasionally causing outbreaks that are more likely after periods of heavy rain or flooding following a drought. Militaries around the world began developing the bacterium as a biological weapon about a century ago, and it has occasionally been used in terrorist attacks, such as the 2001 mailing of anthrax spores through the U.S. postal system.