Anthrax is an infectious disease inflicted by a rod-shaped, gram-positive bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. The pathogen naturally occurs in the soil and can affect both animals and humans. A person may develop the disease when working with infected animals or their products, such as wool, hides, and hair. It can result in severe discomfort, like throat pain, diarrhea, and fever. Read on to learn about the causes, risk factors, signs, and treatments for anthrax.
What causes anthrax?
The condition occurs when the Bacillus anthracis bacterium enters the body through skin contact, swallowing, inhaling, or another way. This bacterium is naturally found in the soil and can remain dormant for years without attaching to a host. It is often found on animals like goats, horses, cattle, and sheep. When the bacterium enters an animal or individual’s body, it grows and multiplies by receiving energy from sugars, water, and other nutrients. With time, it creates toxins that trigger severe illness.
The Bacillus anthracis bacterium comprises three proteins, neither of which are toxic on their own. But combined, they make a lethal mix, disrupting cellular signaling pathways and curtailing the cells from functioning. Consequently, they shut the host’s immune system and become deadly.
While rare in our country, the condition is common in specific other parts of the world. Most human cases occur from exposure to infected animals or their hides or meat. The most prevalent anthrax type, cutaneous anthrax, predominantly spreads via contact with contaminated animal products, like hair and hides. A few develop the infection while making products from the infected animals’ skins.
Who is at risk?
The following groups of people are at a higher risk of anthrax:
- Military personnel deployed to areas with a heightened vulnerability to anthrax exposure.
- Individuals working in laboratory settings to study anthrax.
- People who come into contact with animal skins, furs, or wool from regions with a significant prevalence of anthrax.
- Professionals working in the veterinary sector, particularly those caring for livestock.
- Individuals involved in the handling or processing of game animals, given the occasional outbreaks of anthrax in domestic cattle and wild animals like deer.
What are its symptoms?
The symptoms usually appear within one week of exposure but may sometimes not be apparent for two months. Moreover, they may vary depending on the type. Some common discomforts one may experience include:
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Trouble breathing
- Bumps and blisters
- Profuse sweating
- Fever
- Muscle aches and headaches
- Skin ulcers with a black center
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Bloody diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
How is the condition diagnosed?
People should get expert help immediately if they think they were exposed to the bacterium, even if they do not notice the signs. This is because the signs do not appear instantly. A doctor may recommend a blood test to identify anthrax antibodies or toxins produced by the bacterium in the blood. Further, they may examine the patient’s mucus, stool, spinal fluid, or skin swab samples. If the expert thinks the patient has inhaled spores with anthrax bacteria, they will recommend a CT scan or X-ray.
What are the treatment options?
The doctor suggests a management plan depending on how one was exposed. The patient may be administered treatments to kill the bacterium and eliminate its poison. For severe cases, hospital treatment may be necessary.
