Anthrax

Anthrax is a lethal disease that is caused by gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis. Many researchers believe that this disease originated in Egypt and Mesopotamia in 1250 BC. However, there were also other regions during this time period who were acquainted with anthrax, such as Ancient Greece and Rome. Many illustrations and ancient writings by famous scholars of those times depicted this disease. For example, the author Homer illustrated anthrax in his poem Illiad from 1230 BC. As well, the Roman poet Virgil described anthrax in his pieces between 70 and 90 BC. Although it had been around for many centuries, it was not until 1752 when the first description of cutaneous anthrax was given by Maret.

Since then, many
researchers have studied the disease. The scientist Robert Koch was one of many who studied Bacillus anthracis.
He discovered that the bacteria formed spores which were able to survive for long periods of time in different environments. In one of his experiments, he isolated and grew Bacillus anthracis in pure culture and injected animals with the bacteria. He then observed that the microbe injected into the animals caused anthrax. Koch was also able to determine the life cycle of Bacillus anthracis. It consists of vegetative and endospore morphologies which alternate based on nutrient availability. There is evidence which shows that the bacteria’s ability to cause anthrax depends on its ability to complete its life cycle in a regulated manner. Koch’s study showed that there is a causal relationship between a specific micro-organism and a disease, which was later known as Koch’s postulates.

There are four different types of anthrax, and each have different signs and symptoms. In most cases, symptoms appear within one week of exposure to the bacteria. However inhalation anthrax is an exception; it may take several weeks for symptoms to appear after exposure. Inhalation
anthrax develops when someone inhales anthrax spores. It is the deadliest way to contract the disease and is often fatal even with treatment. Initial symptoms include: sore throat, mild fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. All of these symptoms may last between a few hours and a few days. As inhalation anthrax progresses, some symptoms are: high fever, trouble breathing, shock, and meningitis. Furthermore, another type of anthrax is cutaneous anthrax. This infection enters a person’s body through a cut or another open wound on their skin. Cutaneous anthrax is the most common type of the four, and it is also the mildest. Some symptoms include: a raised, itchy bump resembling an insect bite which quickly develops into a painless sore with a black center, and swelling in the sore and in the nearby lymph glands. Additionally, gastrointestinal anthrax is a third type of anthrax which is caused by eating undercooked meat from an animal which was already infected with the disease. Common symptoms of gastrointestinal anthrax are: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, loss of appetite, fever, sore throat and difficulty swallowing, swollen neck, and, in the later stages of the disease, sever and bloody diarrhea. The fourth and final type of anthrax is injection anthrax. This is contracted through injecting illegal drugs into your body. The initial signs of injection anthrax are: redness at the area of injection without an area that changes to black, and significant swelling. Thus as the disease progresses, more symptoms include: shock, multiple organ failure, and meningitis. There are no known cases of injection anthrax in North America.

As of now, doctors have several options for treating patients with anthrax.
Antibiotics and antitoxin are the most common treatments. If a patient has a serious case of anthrax, they will need to be hospitalized and may require aggressive treatment such as continuous fluid drainage and help breathing through mechanical ventilation. Antibiotics will treat all types of anthrax. On the other hand, antitoxin is mainly used when anthrax spores have activated inside of the body and are able to multiply, spread out, and produce toxins. Hence, antitoxin targets anthrax toxins in the body. When antitoxin is used for treatment, it is necessary for doctors to use additional treatment options as
well.