It is is an acute bacterial disease affecting the skin but may involve the lungs and the intestinal tract.
It is cause by Bacillus anthrancis. Its incubation period is 1 to 7days through some say 2 to 5days.
It is transmitted
1. Through the skin by contact with tissues of animals dying of the disease or contact with contaminated hair, wool, hide and soil. This is how cutaneous anthrax is transmitted.
2. Through inhalation of spores of the organism. That is inhalation anthrax.
3. Ingestion of contaminated undercooked meat of infected animals. That is also gastro intestinal anthrax transmission.
4. The infection can also be spread from infected person to uninfected through contact with the pustules.
Signs and symptoms.
Cutaneous
1. Itching of affected exposed skin surface occurs and papule appears at the site. It is like a bump like mosquito bite.
2. Within few days, this papule turns into a painless open sore.
3. If left untreated, it can lead to septicemia and death.
Inhalationa anthrax
1. Acute symptoms of common respiratory tract infection like influenza.
2. 3 to 5days later the symptoms become acute with fever, severe pneumonia with difficulty in breathing, shock and results in death if left untreated.
Gastro intestinal
1. Loss of appetite.
2. Nausea and vomiting.
3. Fever
It may progress to vomiting of blood and severe bloody diarrhoea.
Laboratory diagnosis include microscopy and culture.
Prevention and control
1. Prevent contacts with lesions
2. Prompt isolation and treatment of suspected animals.
3. Vaccination of animals annually.
4. Proper cooking of meat before eating.
5. Thorough washing and disinfection of hair, wools or hides.
6. Consumption of dead animals should be avoided!
7. All animals should be examined before and after slaughtering.
Treatment
Your health care provider may prescribe any or combination of some of these;
1. Penicillin
2. Doxycycline/tetracycline
3. Ciprofloxacin
4. Co-trimoxazole
5. Chloramphenicol and others.
