Anthrax is a serious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. It can develop when a person has direct contact with animals or materials that are contaminated.
Anthrax can also be transmitted by consuming meat from infected animals. Another possible route is inhaling bacterial spores from the environment.
This infection can be very serious, especially when it affects the intestines or lungs. Anyone suspected to have anthrax should be taken to the hospital as soon as possible for prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Anthrax symptoms
The main symptoms of anthrax are:
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Reddish-brown lumps and blisters on the skin
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Dark, painful skin ulcers
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Swelling around the lumps and ulcers
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Muscle pain (myalgia)
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Fever
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Nausea and vomiting
Anthrax symptoms vary depending on how the infection occurs, the person’s immune response, and the number of spores they inhale or otherwise take in. Symptoms usually start between about 12 hours and 5 days after exposure.
In some cases, anthrax spores can stay in the lungs and interfere with breathing. They can also enter the bloodstream more easily, which may lead to coma or death within about 6 days of infection.
If the bacteria spread to the brain through the bloodstream, they can cause a severe brain infection and meningitis, which is often fatal. All forms of anthrax are very serious and, without rapid diagnosis and treatment, can be life-threatening.
How transmission occurs
Infection with Bacillus anthracis can occur through contact with objects or animals contaminated with bacterial spores. This most often involves animals such as cattle, goats, and sheep.
When infection occurs through contact with spores, it can cause symptoms on the skin. Anthrax does not usually spread from person to person, although direct contact with drainage from a skin lesion may rarely pose a risk.
Other forms of transmission include eating contaminated meat or animal products and inhaling spores. These routes are not transmitted from person to person, but they are considered more serious because the bacteria can more easily reach the bloodstream, spread to other parts of the body, and cause more severe symptoms.
Treatment options
Anthrax infection is treated with antibiotics, which should be used as prescribed by an infectious disease specialist. According to the CDC, moderate to severe anthrax should be treated with combination antimicrobial therapy, and antitoxin may be added because severe anthrax is partly toxin-mediated.
The anthrax vaccine is not available to the general public. It is recommended only for people at higher risk of exposure, such as military personnel, laboratory workers, and certain researchers.
How to prevent
Because anthrax spores are not usually present in the environment, vaccination is generally reserved for people at higher risk of exposure, such as military personnel, scientists, laboratory technicians, textile workers, and veterinarians.
According to the FDA, anthrax vaccines are approved for adults 18 through 65 years of age after suspected or confirmed exposure to Bacillus anthracis when given with recommended antibacterial drugs. BioThrax is also approved before exposure for people at high risk.
Because the bacteria can also be found in the digestive system or hair of animals, one way to prevent infection is to monitor animal health. This helps reduce the presence of the bacteria in the environment.
If Bacillus anthracis is used as a form of bioterrorism, the best strategy to prevent infection and disease is vaccination and the use of recommended antibiotics for about 60 days.