AnthraxAnthrax is a disease caused by gram-positive bacteria
known as Bacillus anthracis. It is not contagious meaning it cannot
be transmitted from person to person.
It is more often found in South and Central America, South and
East Europe, Asia and Africa. Anthrax is rare in developed
countries but it occurs, largely in countries lacking public-health
regulations.
Anthrax is spread by soil borne spores. Animals can become
infected when they breathe in or ingest spores in contaminated
soil, plants, or water.
When anthrax spores get inside the body, they can be activated.
When they become active, the bacteria multiplies spreading out in
the body and produce toxins (poisons).
Humans can get infected by: inhaling spores (Inhalation), eating
uncooked meat from animals that had anthrax (Gastrointestinal),
getting the spores through cuts in skin (Cutaneous)
Intestine Anthrax occurs after eating undercooked meat from an
animal that has anthrax infection.An upset stomach develops 2-5
days afterward. Later there can be bloody diarrhea, fever, and
severe stomach pain.
Skin Anthrax occurs when spores enter the body through a break
in the skin.It starts as a Red-brown raised spot that enlarges with
considerable redness around it, blistering, and hardening. There
are swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the area. Symptoms include
muscle aches and pain, headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. The
illness usually resolves in about six weeks, but deaths may occur
if patients do not receive appropriate antibiotics.
Lung Anthrax or Pneumonia occurs by breathing in anthrax
spores.After exposure, it usually takes 2-7 days (but sometimes up
to 2 months) until illness starts.First there are a few days of
symptoms like headache, cough, and muscle aches. Then after a few
days, there can be trouble breathing, chest pain, large lymph
glands, worse headache, stomach pain, and vomiting or diarrhea.
With lung anthrax, bacteria almost always enter the bloodstream,
leading to severe illness or death.
Concentrated anthrax spores were used for bioterrorism in the
2001 anthrax attacks in the United States.They were delivered by
mailing postal letters containing the spores which sent to several
news media offices and two Democratic senators: Tom Daschle of
South Dakota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont. As a result, 22 were
infected and five died
There is already a vaccine (by Louis Pasteure in 1881) to
protect American troops against the use of anthrax in biological
warfare but is not available to the public because it can be
treated by antibiotics (except lung anthrax).