WHAT DOES ANTHRAX DO TO YOUR BODY

Anthrax is a threatening disease that can be contracted through a variety of ways such as inhalation. In this article, the questions of what exactly Anthrax is, how it can be contracted, and what it means to be infected are answered

A rare but dangerous disease, anthrax is a disease caused by the bacteria Bacillus Anthracis. Bacillus Anthracis is a large Gram-positive, rod-shaped, non-motile, and aerobic bacteria part of the genus bacillus. Anthrax can naturally be found in soil and on almost every continent. Anthrax spores can stay dormant for years or decades in the environment Anthrax, although rare, commonly affects wild or domesticated grazing animals Anthrax outbreaks are common in countries that don’t have programs that routinely vaccinate animals. Infections can occur when a person or animal comes in contact with spores, infected animals, or contaminated animal products. Anthrax, however, is not contagious (person-toperson contamination) When these spores get inside the body, these spores are activated and become anthrax bacteria (this happens when the environment is rich with water, sugars, or other nutrients) These bacteria then multiply and spread out in the body, producing toxins that can lead to death.

There are four types of anthrax infections; cutaneous anthrax, inhalation anthrax, gastrointestinal anthrax, and injection anthrax Cutaneous anthrax is the most common and least dangerous type of anthrax; this type of anthrax develops when anthrax spores get into the skin Infections for cutaneous anthrax usually develop 1-7 days after exposure.

Author: Daniel Zhou

Editors: Shirley Chen and Eric Lin

Artist: Shihan Gao

This form of anthrax affects the skin around infected areas and is most common on the head, neck, forearms, and hands. The symptoms include small blisters or bumps, swelling, and a painless skin sore (ulcer) with a black center (this appears after the small blisters or bumps) Without treatment, ~20% of people infected with this cutaneous anthrax die However, almost all patients treated with antibiotics taken by mouth for 7-10 days, with Doxycycline and ciprofloxacin used most often, will survive.

Another form of anthrax, considered the most dangerous form, is inhalation anthrax Infection for inhalation anthrax usually develops a week after exposure but can take up to two months Inhalation of anthrax can result from a person unintentionally breathing in anthrax