Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Zoonotic Disease
Number of Conditions: 1
Anthrax
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Bacterial Infections
Sub-category: Zoonotic Disease
Symptoms:
cutaneous ulcers with black eschar; fever; malaise; severe respiratory distress in inhalational anthrax; nausea and vomiting in gastrointestinal anthrax
Root Cause:
Infection caused by Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming bacterium that produces toxins.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical history, blood cultures, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and imaging studies for inhalational anthrax.
Treatment:
Early antibiotic therapy is critical, often combined with antitoxins for severe cases.
Medications:
Ciprofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone antibiotic), doxycycline (a tetracycline antibiotic), and raxibacumab (a monoclonal antibody antitoxin).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare in developed countries; outbreaks occur sporadically in agricultural regions with infected livestock.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Exposure to infected animals or animal products, occupational exposure, and bioterrorism.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Varies; cutaneous anthrax has a high survival rate with treatment, but inhalational anthrax has a high mortality rate if not treated promptly.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Sepsis, meningitis, respiratory failure, and death in severe cases.