• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Anthrax

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Wool sorter's disease; Ragpicker's disease

Symptoms:

Symptoms of anthrax differ depending on the type of anthrax. By type, the symptoms may include:

• Cutaneous anthrax: Blister or ulcer that later forms a black scab, and is usually surrounded by a lot of swelling
• Inhalation anthrax: Begins with fever, malaise , headache, cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain; shock may occur in the second stage
• Gastrointestinal anthrax: Nausea and vomiting (the vomit may include blood), anorexia , and bloody diarrhea

Signs and tests:

The tests to diagnose anthrax depend on the type of disease suspected.

• If cutaneous anthrax is suspected, you may have a culture of the skin sore to test for the bacteria that causes anthrax.
• If inhalational anthrax is suspected, you may need a chest x-ray , blood cultures, sputum cultures, spinal tap for CSF culture , or gram stain. Samples may be sent to a special lab for more testing, including PCR, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry.

References:

Reissman DB, Whitney EA, Taylor TH Jr, et al. One-Year Health Assessment of Adult Survivors of Bacillus anthracis Infection. JAMA . 2004;291:1994-1998.

Inglesby TV, O'Toole T, Henderson DA, et al. Anthrax as a Biological Weapon, 2002. JAMA .160;2002;287:2236-2252.

• Review Date: 6/8/2007
• Reviewed By: Mark Levin, M.D., Division of Infectious Disease, MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.