🦠 Anthrax

 

🦠 Anthrax

Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis.

It primarily affects:

• Livestock (cattle, sheep, goats)
  But humans can become infected through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.

It is rare in humans in developed countries.

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🧠 What’s Actually Happening?

Anthrax bacteria form spores, which are extremely durable and can survive in soil for decades.

When spores enter the body, they can:

• Activate (germinate)

• Multiply

• Release toxins

• Cause tissue damage

The severity depends on how the spores enter the body.

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🔬 Types of Anthrax

1️⃣ Cutaneous (Skin) Anthrax – Most Common

• Occurs when spores enter through a cut

• Begins as a small itchy bump

• Develops into a painless ulcer with a black center (“black eschar”)

• Usually treatable with antibiotics

This form has the highest survival rate.

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2️⃣ Inhalation Anthrax – Most Severe

• Occurs after breathing in spores

• Early symptoms resemble flu:

  • Fever

  • Cough

  • Fatigue

• Can rapidly progress to:

  • Severe breathing problems

  • Shock

  • Organ failure

This form is life-threatening without early treatment.

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3️⃣ Gastrointestinal Anthrax

• From eating contaminated meat

• Causes:

  • Severe abdominal pain

  • Vomiting

  • Bloody diarrhea

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4️⃣ Injection Anthrax (Rare)

• Reported in people injecting contaminated drugs

• Causes severe soft tissue infection

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🧪 How It’s Diagnosed

• Blood tests

• Swab or tissue samples

• Imaging (for inhalation cases)

Early diagnosis is critical.

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🛠 Treatment

Anthrax is treated with:

• Powerful antibiotics

• Combination antibiotic therapy (for severe cases)

• Antitoxin therapy (in advanced cases)

• Hospital care

With early treatment, survival improves significantly.

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💉 Prevention

• Vaccination available for high-risk individuals

• Proper handling of livestock

• Avoiding contaminated animal products

Anthrax is not spread person-to-person in typical cases.

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💥 Bottom Line

Anthrax is:

• A bacterial infection caused by spores

• Rare but potentially serious

• Treatable with early antibiotics

• Not contagious between people in normal settings

Despite its historical and bioterrorism associations, naturally occurring human cases are uncommon.