Disease Kills Hundreds of Sheep in Montana

A livestock disease known as bluetongue has killed hundreds of sheep and sickened hundreds more in Montana North Dakota officials are monitoring whether it spreads east Biting gnats spread the disease from animal to animal The North Dakota Agriculture Department says it isn t aware of any cases in the state And the first hard frost should eliminate the gnats North Dakota State University Extension veterinarian Charlie Stoltenow says bluetongue normally occurs in late summer and early fall in the southern and western United States It s unclear why the disease occurred this year in Montana