anthrax

anthrax - A serious bacterial infection of livestock that occasionally spreads to humans. In humans, the most common form of the infection is cutaneous anthrax, which affects the skin.

Another form, pulmonary anthrax, affects the lungs. Anthrax is caused by BACILLUS ANTHRACIS. This microorganism produces spores that can remain dormant for years in soil and animal products and are capable of reactivation. Animals become infected by grazing on contaminated land.

People may become infected via a scratch or sore if they handle materials from infected animals. Pulmonary anthrax occurs as a result of inhaling spores from animal fibres. In cutaneous anthrax, a raised, itchy, area develops at the site of entry of the spores, progressing to a large blister and finally a black scab, with swelling of the surrounding tissues.

This is treatable with penicillin in its early stages. Without treatment, the infection may spread to lymph nodes and the bloodstream, and may be fatal. Pulmonary anthrax causes severe breathing difficulty and is fatal in most cases.