What do you know about anthrax?
Anthrax or anthrax is one of the rare but dangerous diseases for humans.. This disease generally affects livestock and wild animals.. Therefore, we invite you to stay with us until the end of this article.
What is the cause of anthrax?
The cause of anthrax is a spore producing bacterium called Bacillus anthracis.
Spores or spores produced by this bacterium usually develop in unfavorable environments... so it is very resistant to unfavorable environmental conditions... to the extent that it can survive for a long time in the air and especially in the soil.
The bacterium Bacillus anthracis usually attacks the host through the production of toxins or toxins.... Therefore, it can be said that the pathogenicity of Bacillus anthracis is related to the two factors of capsule and venom.
Meanwhile, the capsule protects the bacteria from the body's non-specific defense factors, and the toxin or toxin, which consists of three important protein components, attacks the affected parts.
Is anthrax contagious?
Actually, there is no scientific proof that anthrax can be transmitted from person to person....but open skin wounds are the main way of transmission of this disease.
Therefore, in many cases, direct or indirect contact with the bacteria that cause this disease can involve more people. For example, eating the meat of an infected animal or breathing in the air containing spores can cause the transmission of this disease.
Types of anthrax or anthrax disease
Anthrax disease may involve different organs based on the exposure to different bacteria... it shows different symptoms depending on the organ involved.... Next, we will examine each type of anthrax disease:
1) Cutaneous anthrax
This type of anthrax, which usually enters the body through an open wound or cut, is one of the most common and mildest types of anthrax.. Cutaneous anthrax, if treated on time, does not have serious complications and is not fatal.
The most common symptoms of skin anthrax are:
- Some of its symptoms are flu-like, such as fever and headache
- Abnormal ridges and itchy skin that is very similar to insect bites... These skin lesions quickly turn into ulcers with a black center.
- Inflammation and pain in the lymph nodes adjacent to the wound
2) Gastrointestinal anthrax
This type of anthrax disease is usually caused by consuming the meat of an infected animal.... The growth rate of this type of anthrax disease is very high.... This condition may involve the patient from the throat to the large intestine.
Symptoms and symptoms caused by gastric and intestinal anthrax usually include the following:
- nausea
- vomiting
- stomach ache
- Headache
- Anorexia
- Fever
- Severe diarrhea bloody diarrhea
- Sore throat
- Swallowing problems
- Neck swelling
This type of anthrax disease can also cause many problems for the affected person. Therefore, it is recommended to see a doctor as soon as you see these symptoms.
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3) Respiratory or inhalation anthrax
Anthrax, which is caused by breathing air contaminated with spores, is one of the most deadly types of this disease.. In many cases, it has been seen that a person with respiratory anthrax still dies despite receiving appropriate treatment... Therefore, knowing its signs and symptoms is very important.
These symptoms are:
- Flu-like symptoms such as muscle pain, sore throat, fever, headache, etc.
- Severe cough
- shortness of breath
- Severe fever
- Nausea
- Feeling of heaviness and discomfort in the chest
- Swallowing problems
- breathing problems
- Feeling of shock
- Meningitis or inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membrane
Treatment of this type of anthrax should be started immediately after diagnosis.... Because after symptoms appear, treatment methods usually don't work.
4) Injection anthrax
This type of anthrax has recently been observed in Europe as well... According to the conducted research, the injection of illegal drugs is the cause of this type of anthrax disease.
Symptoms of injectable anthrax include the following:
- Redness and itching in the injection area
- Inflammation and swelling in the injection area
- Meningitis or inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membrane
- Feeling of shock
- Failure of one or more body parts
What method is used to treat anthrax?
The treatment of anthrax, like other infectious diseases, usually begins with the use of antibiotics.... But in many cases, the use of antibiotics is not enough to treat this disease, and it is necessary for the affected person to receive the vaccine for this disease.
In order to comply with health standards and prevent the spread of the disease, it is usually recommended that if clothes or other items are contaminated with this bacteria, it is better to burn the said items... because otherwise, the possibility of the spread of the disease increases.
What are the complications of anthrax infection?
Although in many cases, anthrax is a curable disease, but even after treatment, the complications of this disease may bother you for a long time. Among these complications, the following can be mentioned:
- Sepsis
In this case, the body loses its ability to respond to the infection.... so several parts of the body may be seriously damaged. - Hemorrhagic Meningitis
In this case, inflammation in the membranes of the brain and spinal cord may cause severe bleeding in the body and ultimately endanger the person's life.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed some points about anthrax... Then we shared information about the symptoms of this disease with you dear ones.... An important point to note in this context is that this disease is one of the rarest yet most serious infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Therefore, timely diagnosis and treatment in case of encountering this disease is one of the requirements to prevent its irreversible complications.
If for any reason you feel that you may have been infected with this bacteria, consult an infectious disease doctor as soon as possible. You can book an appointment through the GCORP LLC website.
If you or someone around you has experience with anthrax or anthrax, you can write it in the comments section to increase public awareness.
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