Antrax

What is anthrax?

Anthrax is a disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis , which is housed in a hardy spore. The disease usually affects livestock, but Ð'-- as the world has become fully aware Ð'-- it also infects humans. A naturally occurring disease known since biblical times, anthrax has recently become a biological weapon of concern.

Anthrax occurs in three forms:

Cutaneous anthrax. This form infects the skin, causing a sore with a black center. It occurs when a cut, blister or other skin wound comes into contact with anthrax spores. Left untreated, up to 20 percent of cases of cutaneous anthrax progress to a dangerous bloodstream infection called septicemia, which can be fatal.

Intestinal anthrax. You can contract this form by consuming meat from an infected animal. About 25 percent to 60 percent of untreated cases of intestinal anthrax result in death.

Inhalation anthrax. This most deadly form of the disease occurs when you inhale enough anthrax spores to infect the lungs. Once the infection has spread, inhalation anthrax is fatal in about 90 percent of cases.

Fortunately, all three forms can be prevented or treated with antibiotics. However, to be most effective, treatment must begin early. An anthrax vaccine exists, but unlike antibiotics is in short supply.

What can you do to protect yourself and your family against anthrax? First, don't panic. The average American's risk of exposure to anthrax remains exceedingly low, despite recent anthrax cases in the United States beginning in October 2001. Second, arm yourself with information to fully understand this microscopic invader.

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"Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of anthrax vary depending on how the disease was contracted. People can contract any of three forms of anthrax. Signs and symptoms of the various forms are as follows:

Cutaneous anthrax. You can contract anthrax by contact of the bacterium with an open wound. Anthrax spores can enter a cut, blister or abrasion on the skin, causing a localized skin (cutaneous) infection at the site, typically within a week to 12 days of exposure. The infection begins as a raised, sometimes itchy bump resembling an insect or spider bite. But within a day or two, the bump develops into an open, usually painless sore with a characteristic black center. In fact, the term anthrax comes from the Greek word for "coal black," anthracis , because of this black scab, which is actually dead tissue. Cutaneous anthrax is the mildest form of the disease. It's effectively treated with antibiotics. Shortly after antibiotics are started, the wound begins to heal, possibly leaving a scar. A slight danger with cutaneous anthrax is that the infection may spread, signs of which include fever, chills and swollen lymph glands near the area of the sore. With treatment, cutaneous anthrax is fatal in less than 1 percent of cases.

You can contract anthrax when spores enter an open wound in your skin. The infection begins as a raised, sometimes itchy bump resembling an insect or spider bite. But within a day or two, the bump ...Inhaled anthrax spores (upper right inset) can settle in the tiny air sacs (alveoli) of the lung (upper left inset). Once inside the lungs, the spores transform into bacteria (lower right inset), ...

Intestinal anthrax. You can contract anthrax by eating undercooked meat from an infected animal. Intestinal anthrax causes sores (ulcers) within the intestines Ð'-- much like the sores that appear on the skin in the cutaneous form. The first signs and symptoms of intestinal anthrax generally show up within a day to a week after eating contaminated meat. Initial signs and symptoms include nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and fever followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood and severe, bloody diarrhea. You may also develop sores in your mouth and throat in addition to abdominal signs and symptoms. Untreated intestinal anthrax can be fatal, but with antibiotic treatment, it rarely is.

Inhalation (pulmonary) anthrax. You can contract anthrax by inhaling enough anthrax spores. The spores, once lodged in the respiratory tract, can take anywhere from a day, to a week, to 2 months to become active. Once they become active, signs and symptoms develop. Initial signs and symptoms resemble those of the flu or a cold Ð'-- sore throat, mild fever, malaise, fatigue, muscle aches and mild chest discomfort. These first signs and symptoms may last for a few hours to a few days before they may appear to subside briefly. However, soon after Ð'-- within 3 days of onset of symptoms Ð'-- the disease progresses, producing a high fever and breathing problems. The disease destroys lung tissue and may spread to the brain causing meningitis. Antibiotics can reduce the risk of death, especially if started within the first few days of symptoms.

Meningitis

"Causes

Anthrax isn't new. Anthrax is believed to have been one of the Egyptian plagues at the time of Moses. It's just never made as many headlines before.

Anthrax disease is caused by a rod-shaped bacterium, Bacillus anthracis , which normally resides as spores in the soil. Each bacterium changes into a spore in which it hibernates until it finds its way into a host to infect Ð'-- an animal or human. Anthrax spores are extremely hardy. They're resistant to sunlight and have been known to survive in soil for decades.

Anthrax spores are invisible to the naked eye, odorless and tasteless. The spores measure between 1 and 5 microns in size. That's small, considering 1 micron is one-thousandth of a millimeter. The spores are so small that millions would fill but a thimble.

Anthrax primarily affects farm animals Ð'-- sheep, cattle, horses, goats and pigs. Like humans, animals can contract three forms of anthrax. They can develop cutaneous anthrax if spores come in contact with a cut or sore on their hide. They contract intestinal anthrax by eating spores from soil. They can also inhale anthrax spores and develop inhalation anthrax. In animals, anthrax is almost always fatal.

Anthrax once was common in most areas where livestock are raised. But in modern times, animal vaccination programs have greatly reduced the natural occurrence of the disease among both animals and humans in much of the world.

Outbreaks of anthrax still occur in countries Ð'-- such as Mexico, South America, eastern and southern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East Ð'-- that don't have widespread livestock immunization programs.