Anthrax is an acute contagious disease from zoonosis group characterized with fever, damage of lymph system, intoxication. It courses in cutaneous, rarely gastrointestinal, pulmonary and septic forms. The causative agent is aerobic bacterium, a motionless large rod with blunt ends.
Outside human and animal body it makes spores which are quite resistant to chemical impacts. Source of infection are diseased animals. Humans get infected after contacts with diseased animals (butchering, coat processing, etc) and via water and food which are polluted with spores.
Symptoms and course
Anthrax affects first of all skin, rarely affects internal organs. Incubation period lasts 2 – 14 days. Cutaneous anthrax is characterized with damage of open skin area. The disease courses severely when carbuncles appear on head area, neck, mouth and nose mucosa. There may occur single or multiple carbuncles. First (on the spot where microbe enters) appears red itching blemish which looks like insect bite. Within 24 hours skin notably thickens, itching increases, on the spot of blemish do appear vesicles – a blister filled with serous substance and then with blood. While scratching, the blister is teared off and on its spot appears sore with black bottom.
From this moment body temperature increases, patient suffers from headaches and loss of appetite. Sore edges get swelled and do form inflammatory swab, then appears edema which starts spreading rapidly. Sore bottom sinks more and more and on the edges get formed “daughter” vesicles with transparent substance. Such sore growing lasts 5 – 6 days.
By the end of the first day sore size reaches 8 – 15 mm and from this moment it is called anthax. Peculiarity of anthax consists in pain syndrome missing in necrosis area and its specific coloring: black in center with a narrow yellow border round it (scab), and further wide red swell. Lymphatic system may also be affected (lymphadenitis).
In a favorable course of the disease, in 4 -6 days body temperature decreases, overall health improves, edema reduces, lymphadenitis lowers, scab sloughs, wound heals and scar remains. In unfavorable course is developed secondary sepsis with repetitive body temperature increase, significant aggravation of overall condition, headache strengthening, tachyrhythmia growth, appearing of secondary pustules on the skin. Patient suffers from bloody vomiting and diarrhea. Fatal cases are not excluded.
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