Anthrax
Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. It usually only affects farm animals such as cows and sheep. But it’s possible to get infected if you’re in contact with infected animals or products that come from them.
Symptoms
Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. It usually When you eat or drink something that contains the spores, like an infected animal’s undercooked meat, the symptoms might include:
- Fever, chills
- Swelling in your neck or glands and pain.
- Nausea, loss of appetite, and vomiting.
- Diarrhea that may be bloody
- Headache, Stomachache
- Redness in your eyes and face
- Fainting
- Pain and swelling in your abdomen
What Causes It?
Anthrax is caused by a bacterial form called Bacillus anthracis. The bacteria make spores, which are a form of the protective shell-living bacteria. Such spores can persist in soil for a long time, even years. If spores get into your body, you can get anthrax, break open, and release the bacteria, which cause harmful toxins (poison).
Treatment
Before the levels of toxins and harmful bacteria within the body become too high for medications to kill, anthrax must be treated as quickly as possible.
Anthrax is standardly treated with antibiotics and antitoxins. The type of antibiotics will depend on how the infection occurred, the age and medical history of the patient.
Antitoxin therapies are currently being developed to target toxins released by B. anthracis rather than the bacteria themselves.
Recently, surgical removal of infected tissue has been successfully used to treat anthrax injection.