Anthrax history and symptoms
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: João André Alves Silva, M.D. [2]
Overview
History
Common Symptoms
The symptoms of anthrax may be different, depending on the type of the disease:
Cutaneous
- Most common form, commonly contracted when someone has a cut on the skin and comes into contact with the anthrax spore
- First symptom is a small sore that develops into a blister. It will then develop into a skin ulcer with a black area at the center. The sore, blister and ulcer do not hurt. In some cases, symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain, fever and vomiting, may occur
- There is a small risk of direct infection from the lesions on another person's body
Gastrointestinal
Generally occurs after eating meat from an infected animal. The first symptoms are similar to food poisoning, and may include:
- Fever and chills
- Flushing and red eyes
- Headache
- Fainting
- Sore throat
- Painful swallowing
- Hoarseness
- Swelling of neck or neck glands
- Nausea and vomiting, especially bloody vomiting
- Diarrhea or bloody diarrhea
- Stomach pain
- Swelling of abdomen
Inhalation or Pulmonary
- The rarest but most severe form of anthrax
- Commonly occurs after inhalation of anthrax spores
- First symptoms of inhalation anthrax are similar to cold or flu symptoms and can include:
- Fatigue
- Sore throat
- Body pain
- Cough
- Fever and chills
- Headache
- Shortness of breath
- Chest discomfort
- Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains
- Confusion or dizziness
- Sweats
- Cannot be transmitted from person to person, since it can only be contracted by direct inhalation of the anthrax spores
Injection anthrax
- Symptoms are usually similar to the ones of cutaneous anthrax, however, the disease may spread through the body faster
- Fever and chills
- Small blisters or bumps usually itchy, on the injection site
- Painless skin ulcer with a black center that appears after the blisters or bumps
- Swelling around the ulcer
- Abscesses deep under the skin or in the muscle where the drug was injected