Damp litter exposes animals to disease 1. Anthrax disease of ruminants : Anthrax, a highly infectious and fatal disease of cattles, is caused by a relatively large spore-forming rectangular shaped bacterium called Bacillus anthracis . Anthrax occurs on all the continents,causes acute mortality in ruminants. The bacteria produce extremely potent toxins which are responsible for the ill effects, causing a high mortality rate. The bacteria produce spores on contact with oxygen. Signs of the illness usually appear 3 to 7 days after the spores are swallowed or inhaled. Once signs begin in animals, they usually die within two days. Hoofed animals, such as deer, cattle, goats, and sheep, are the main animals affected by this disease. They usually get the disease by swallowing anthrax spores while grazing on pasture contaminated (made impure) with anthrax spores. Inhaling (breathing in) the spores,which are odorless, colorless, and tasteless, may also caus