Anthrax

Anthrax is a disease primarily found in animals, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Humans can be infected with it when they are exposed to infected animals, tissue from infected animals or exposed to the spores of the bacterium.The commonly The bacterium, Bacillus anthracis, is the causative organism. Under a microscope with appropriate staining, the bacteria look like small rods. The spores are usually spherical structures, smaller than the bacteria, and are the dormant form of the bacteria. They can survive in the soil for years, and can withstand hot or cold temperaturesaffected animals include cattle, sheep, goats, camels, antelopes and other herbivores.

A few sporadic cases and outbreaks of anthrax have occurred in India. Detailed information collected for three southern Indian states, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, has confirmed the endemic nature of anthrax. During the last two decades, about cases of human anthrax have been encountered at Christian Medical College, Vellore, including cases of cutaneous anthrax. Recent outbreak of human anthrax has been reported from Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education.


An effective vaccine is available about percent effective in protecting against anthrax. But supplies are limited, and are usually used to immunize the armed forces. Taking antibiotics as a preventative measure is foolish. It will do more harm than good to take antibiotics without medical supervision. The antibiotics commonly used for treatment are effective against other illnesses also and their misuse may lead to development of resistance and consequently they will not work against other diseases. Prophylaxis for asymptomatic patients with suspected exposure to anthrax spores can be achieved with a week course of doxycycline or ciprofloxacin.


The diagnosis can be made at most microbiology laboratories by smear examination and isolating the bacteria from the blood, skin lesions, or respiratory secretions by culture. Bacillus anthracis is an organism which is very easy to culture and identify.The anthraxin skin test, consisting of subdermal injection of a commercially produced chemical extract of an attenuated strain of B. anthracis, is available for the diagnosis of acute and previous cases of anthrax. It can also be diagnosed by looking for specific antibodies in the blood or by molecular biology techniques like PCR.