What is the epidemiology of anthrax?

What is the epidemiology of anthrax?

Anyone can get anthrax, but it is a rare disease in the United States. Anthrax occurs naturally in certain wild and domestic animals (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats, camels, etc.), most commonly in South and Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, central and southwestern Asia, southern and eastern Europe, and the Caribbean.

What are the preventive measures of anthrax?

How can I prevent anthrax? You can reduce your risk of anthrax by having the anthrax vaccine . The only anthrax vaccine that’s approved by the FDA is the Biothrax vaccine. When used as a preventive measure, it’s a five-dose vaccine series given over an 18-month period.

What is the history of anthrax?

Anthrax is thought to have originated in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Many scholars think that in Moses’ time, during the 10 plagues of Egypt, anthrax may have caused what was known as the fifth plague, described as a sickness affecting horses, cattle, sheep, camels and oxen.

What does anthrax mean?

: an infectious disease of warm-blooded animals (as cattle and sheep) caused by a spore-forming bacterium (Bacillus anthracis), transmissible to humans especially by the handling of infected products (as hair), and characterized by cutaneous ulcerating nodules or by often fatal lesions in the lungs also : the bacterium …

How does anthrax attack the body?

When anthrax spores get inside the body, they can be “activated.” When they become active, the bacteria can multiply, spread out in the body, produce toxins (poisons), and cause severe illness.

Can anthrax be cured?

Signs and symptoms, which depend on how you’re infected, can include skin sores, vomiting and shock. Prompt treatment with antibiotics can cure most anthrax infections. Inhaled anthrax is more difficult to treat and can be fatal. Anthrax is very rare in the developed world.

Where is anthrax commonly found?

Anthrax is most common in agricultural regions of Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, central and southwestern Asia, southern and eastern Europe, and the Caribbean.

Can you donate blood after anthrax vaccine?

The anthrax vaccine is a formalin inactivated (killed) vaccine which has been Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed and in use since 1970. As a killed vaccine, there is no blood donation deferral period required for personnel receiving the vaccine.

What are the side effects of anthrax vaccine?

Mild problems following an anthrax vaccine can include:

• Reactions where the shot was given. Redness. Swelling. Soreness or tenderness. A lump or bruise. Itching.
• Muscle aches or temporary limitation of movement in the arm where the shot was given.
• Headache.
• Feeling tired.

What is in the anthrax vaccine?

Composition of the Anthrax Vaccine Each 0.5 milliliter (mL) dose of anthrax vaccine adsorbed or BioThrax® (Emergent BioSolutions) is made from cell-free filtrates of microaerophilic cultures of an avirulent, nonencapsulated strain of Bacillus anthracis.

Is the Anthrax Vaccine painful?

Does the anthrax vaccine have side effects? About one of every ten people who receive the anthrax vaccine will develop mild pain, redness and swelling at the site where the vaccine was given. And about one out of every 100 given the vaccine will develop severe pain and swelling.

What is the anthrax series?

It is given in a five-dose series at 0, 4 weeks, 6 months, 12 months and 18 months, with yearly boosters to maintain immunity. Vaccination and antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, and amoxicillin, are the most important therapeutic interventions for any form of anthrax exposure.

Can anthrax be weaponized?

Likely delivery methods of weaponized anthrax include aerial dispersal or dispersal through livestock, notable bioterrorism uses include the 2001 anthrax attacks and an incident in 1993 by the Aum Shinrikyo group in Japan.

How quickly does anthrax kill?

If the spores are inhaled they can kill in a matter of 2 or 3 days, doing its worst damage with symptoms that seem no worse than a cold. The military considers anthrax to be the most serious of all biological threats.

What does anthrax taste like?

Bacillus anthracis spores do not have a characteristic appearance, smell or taste. Spores themselves are too small to be seen by the naked eye, but have been mixed with powder to transport them. Anthrax can only be identified through sophisticated laboratory testing.

How many types of anthrax are there?

There are three types of anthrax: cutaneous (through the skin), gastrointestinal, and inhalational.

What are the symptoms of anthrax in humans?

Inhalation anthrax symptoms can include:

• Fever and chills.
• Chest Discomfort.
• Shortness of breath.
• Confusion or dizziness.
• Cough.
• Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains.
• Headache.
• Sweats (often drenching)

Who is most at risk for anthrax?

Although rare, people can get anthrax after having contact with infected animals or their products, such as wool, hides, or hair. For this reason, people in certain occupations, like veterinarians, farmers, livestock producers, and others who handle animals and animal products may have an increased risk of exposure.