Anthrax Essay

Anthrax is a serious disease that is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Bacillus anthracis has a very detailed yet simple description. Its shape is given away in its name by bacillus, which means rod-shaped and is also arranged in chains. It is gram-positive, so it has a simple cell wall. Since B. anthracis is non-motile, it is best to use a semi-solid media rather than a wet mount (Bacillus anthracis… [date unkown]). Colonies will resemble the comma-shape because of the bacilli chains and will have a grey and ground-glass appearance. Its optimal growth temperature is 37 degrees and it can live with or without oxygen so it is a facultative anaerobe, but it does better with oxygen for survival.
There are four types of Bacillus anthracis and different incubation periods usually ranging from one to seven days for each one. The first and most common is cutaneous, where it enters the body by the skin, usually cuts or scrapes. Humans
When anthrax spores get inside the body, they can be activated and once activated they can multiple, spread, and produce toxins or poisons. This then will cause serious illness in the body. After toxins have been released in the body, one possible treatment is antitoxin. Antitoxins target anthrax toxins in the body. Doctors must use antitoxin together with other treatment options. Currently, there are a few types of antitoxins that can be used for treating anthrax (Anthrax… 2015). A few antibiotics that aid in the treatment of anthrax are: clindamycin, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, and most recently approved by the FDA is raxibacumab. Raxibacumab works best by dramatically decreasing how serious anthrax can be. The drug uses monoclonal antibodies to bind to toxins secreted by B. anthracis, which prevents it from entering the cells. There is also a vaccine; it contains live spores and a toxoid, which is used in certain places where anthrax is common to protect