Frequency distribution
Anthrax is a rather rare disease, but infections do occur time and again. The most common form is skin anthrax. About 2000 people worldwide are affected by skin anthrax every year.
The bacterium of anthrax has also been used as a combat weapon. As a result, numerous residents died of anthrax in an accident in the former Soviet Union. On the island of “Gruinard Island” in Great Britain, experiments were carried out with the bacteria, so the island is probably still contaminated today.
The island in the Aral Sea in Central Asia was also contaminated with the bacteria that caused anthrax for a long time because the Soviet military conducted experiments there. In Germany, there have been no cases of infection for years. The reported anthrax cases referred to contaminated heroin injections, which led to the outbreak of the disease.
Symptoms
The symptoms of anthrax can be very diverse. It is therefore often difficult to distinguish anthrax from a harmless disease. Skin anthrax shows its first symptoms after 1-12 days.
The first signs of anthrax are itchy, black ulcers on the body surrounded by swollen skin (edema). These ulcers become blacker and blacker in the middle, as cell death (necrosis) occurs here. Since necrosis is not programmed cell death, but is triggered by a toxin (in this case the anthratoxin), pus-filled blisters are formed.
It is important to consult a doctor immediately to avoid the connection of the pus-filled vesicles to blood vessels, as this can lead to life-threatening blood poisoning (sepsis). This form of anthrax is only possible through direct skin contact, whereby the skin must already show minimal injuries. Skin anthrax is the most harmless form.
Untreated, only 5-20% of all cases end fatally. With timely treatment with an antibiotic, the mortality rate drops to about 1%. Another form is pulmonary anthrax, but it is less common because more than 5,000 spores have to be inhaled to develop their harmful effect.
In this form of anthrax, the symptoms are difficult to detect.At first, there is a slight cough, then the disease proceeds flu-like. It leads to high fever, shortness of breath (dyspnoea) and chills. However, since these symptoms only appear when the bacterium has already multiplied considerably, therapy is more difficult and the mortality rate is therefore very high.
In addition, the coughed up fluid is extremely infectious. Since surrounding body structures such as the mediastinum also become inflamed, the lymphatic system is disturbed. This leads to swelling (edema) in the neck and throat area.
After a few days, septic shock usually occurs, which is accompanied by total organ failure. Untreated, almost 100% of cases are fatal. But even if the disease is discovered, a complete recovery is unlikely.
The consumption of infected dairy products or meat can lead to intestinal anthrax. Within a few hours or days the first symptoms appear. These are initially characterized by slimy diarrhea.
Pain in the abdominal area, fever and lack of hunger are also among the primary symptoms. After that, bloody vomiting (haematemesis) and bloody diarrhoea (diarrhoea) are the main symptoms. The blood comes from the injured and infected sections of the intestine.
Since the bacterium is absorbed through the intestine and released into the blood, blood poisoning (sepsis) occurs quickly, which then leads to heart and kidney failure. This form of anthrax is the rarest form. About half of those affected die from it.
Injectable anthrax is caused by ingestion of bacteria via contaminated syringes (particularly common among drug users). After a few days, water retention (edema) and pus accumulation (abscesses) occur all over the body. Here too, it is important to remove these as quickly as possible. If the bacteria get into the blood, this can lead to sepsis as well as to a life-threatening meningitis.
