Agriculture Victoria veterinarians and animal health staff are responding to the detection which was reported on Friday.
The property was quarantined, and all livestock on the affected property have been vaccinated. Neighbouring properties have also been informed.
Victoria’s chief veterinary officer Graeme Cooke said due to early reporting by the impacted farmer and veterinarians, swift action was able to be taken to reduce the likelihood of the detection impacting more livestock.
Carcases of the dead animals have been disposed of.
Outbreaks of anthrax have previously been confirmed in this area and sporadic cases are not unusual in northern Victoria.
Anthrax is an infectious bacterial disease of animals, caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis.
Although the disease usually appears during the warmer months, cases of anthrax may occur at any time of year and in locations where the disease may not have been recognised for years.
Cattle and sheep are infected through ingesting spores in contaminated soils, while browsing stock may ingest the pathogen on contaminated grass.
Once ingested, the bacteria produce potent toxins that cause the clinical signs of anthrax including fever, lack of appetite, lethargy or sudden death, often with bleeding visible at the nose, mouth and/or anus.
Anthrax is a notifiable disease.
The last major outbreak in the Goulburn Valley occurred in 1997 in the Stanhope and Tatura areas, when 202 cattle died and authorities instituted a mass vaccination campaign reaching 78,000 cattle.
Other smaller cases were reported across northern Victoria in 2018, 2015 and 2009.
The anthrax spores can survive in the soil for many years and the outbreaks appear to be following the route of a historic cattle droving trail when anthrax was common.
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