Anthrax: Anthrax is an acute disease caused by bacterium.
Bacillus anthracis: Bacillus anthracis is the organism that causes anthrax. It forms spores and may come to life from being dormant when necessary.
Cutaneous anthrax: Cutaneous or skin anthrax infection shows up a boil like lesion that eventually forms a blackish ulcer.
Discovery: A German scientist Robert Koch first identified the bacterium.
Exposure: Occupational exposure to infected animals or their products (e.g. meat, skin, wool but not milk) is the usual pathway of exposure for humans.
Fatal disease: If proper cure, prevention or treatments are not given then the disease (specially inhalational form) can be fatal.
Gastrointestinal anthrax: Gastrointestinal infection often happens by eating anthrax infected cows meat. Serious gastrointestinal difficulty, vomiting of blood, severe diarrhoea and loss of appetite are the characteristics.
Herbivores: Herbivores (e.g. cow) are often got affected whilst grazing, browsing and eating rough, irritant spiky vegetation.
Inhalational anthrax: A lethal form initially presents flu-like symptoms for several days followed by respiratory difficulty.
Junks: Humans get affected with the junk products (e.g. intestines) of the affected herbivores.
Killing of spores: Bacteria spores may persist after burial but kill by burning of junk.
Lesions: Black, blister like lesions, no pain in the skin anthrax.
Mode of infection: Handling affected animal, eating meat, inhaling smell of the junk products.
Necrotic ulcer: The boil-like skin lesions form after 3 or 4 days of getting affected.
Open cut: An open cut of the skin is a vulnerable route for getting affected.
Prognosis: Anthrax prognosis depends on type of infection and extension of lesion.
Quinolones: Quinolones antibiotics like Ciprofloxacin, Doxycycline, Erythromycin, Vancomycine or Penicillin are the main drug for treatment.
Risk factors: People working in anthrax threatened area, processing of animal skins, furs or wool, and veterinary medicine are at risk.
Symptoms: According to type and place of infection.
Treatment: Available with antibiotic describe above.
Understanding: Understanding is important that it is contagious from animal to animal but not from human to human.
Vaccine: An anthrax vaccine for human is available only in some developed countries like USA but not in Bangladesh.
Weapon: Anthrax has been used as a biological weapon.
X-factor: Screening test for anthrax remains as an x-factor for identifying anthrax.
Yolk agar: Egg yolk agar is a testing media for identifying the bacterium.
Zone of testing: 1. Skin biopsy can detect cutaneous anthrax, 2. Chest X-ray or CT Scan for inhalational anthrax, 3. Endoscopy and stool sample for detection of gastrointestinal anthrax, 4. Lumbar puncture for anthrax meningitis.

The writer is a medical student of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College. E-mail: [email protected]