What is Anthrax?
Anthrax is a type of infectious disease that is very easily transmitted from livestock to humans or is called a zoonotic disease.
A person can experience this health problem if they touch or consume meat from an animal infected with anthrax.
Anthrax itself is a rare but very serious health disorder.
This disease occurs due to infection with the bacteria Bacillus anthracis.
Until now, there have been no studies that can prove that the bacteria that cause anthrax can be transmitted from one human to another.
Symptoms of Anthrax
The symptoms of anthrax are not the same in everyone depending on how the bacteria infects the human body.
Some symptoms of anthrax based on how it is transmitted are as follows:
Cutaneous Anthrax
This type of anthrax will cause many lumps to appear on the surface of the skin followed by itching.
The lumps are most often seen on the neck, arms, and face. Then, the lumps can turn into ulcers with a blackish color and are not accompanied by pain.
Gastrointestinal Anthrax
Meanwhile, symptoms of anthrax that attacks the digestive tract or gastrointestinal anthrax include nausea and vomiting, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, decreased appetite, stomach ache, fever, headache, and lumps in the neck.
When the condition worsens, sufferers can experience diarrhea and even bloody bowel movements.
Respiratory Anthrax
The early signs and symptoms of anthrax that attacks the respiratory tract are similar to the common flu, such as fever, pain when swallowing, muscle pain, and the body easily becomes tired.
Some of the further symptoms are shortness of breath to shock. Respiratory anthrax can also cause inflammation of the brain membrane and spinal cord or meningitis.
Causes of Anthrax
The bacteria Bacillus anthracis, which causes anthrax, normally lives in the soil.
This type of bacteria can easily attack and infect grass-eating animals, such as sheep, horses, cows, and goats.
The bacteria will then spread and be transmitted from animals to humans when someone touches the fur or skin of an infected animal, or eats undercooked animal meat or inhales air that has been contaminated with the bacteria.
Based on how it spreads, the causes of anthrax are divided into several types, including:
Cutaneous Anthrax
A person who has an open wound on the surface of the skin can easily be exposed to the bacteria that cause anthrax.
These bacteria can come from fur, skin, meat or the flesh of infected animals.
This type of anthrax is considered harmless and usually only begins to develop between 1 and 7 days after a person is exposed.
Gastrointestinal Anthrax
Next is digestive anthrax, which occurs when a person consumes the meat of an infected animal.
Bacteria will enter the digestive tract and infect the digestive tract from 1 to 7 days after exposure occurs.
Respiratory Anthrax
This type of anthrax is the most dangerous. A person can get respiratory anthrax if they inhale spores from anthrax bacteria, for example when processing skin or fur from livestock.
Infection usually only develops 7 days to 2 months after exposure.
In addition to the three methods of transmission mentioned above, anthrax can also be transmitted to someone who uses heroin by injection.
This type of anthrax is often found in several countries in Europe and is a rare case in Indonesia.
In addition, several factors that increase a person’s risk of experiencing anthrax include:
- Many activities are carried out in locations that have a history of anthrax disease or are habitats for the bacteria that cause anthrax.
- Have a job related to livestock processing, such as processing fur, skin, or meat from livestock or taking care of livestock.
- Conducting research on anthrax in the laboratory.
- Have a job as a veterinarian, especially one who handles health problems in livestock.
Until now, no study has succeeded in proving that anthrax can be transmitted from one person to another.
However, it is still possible that someone who has direct contact with an anthrax sufferer who has an open wound can become infected.
Anthrax Diagnosis
In order to get an accurate diagnosis of anthrax, the doctor will usually ask questions about the symptoms felt and the patient’s medical history.
Then, the doctor will perform a physical examination and further examination if there is a tendency for anthrax-causing bacterial infection. Supporting examinations carried out include:
- Skin examination is performed by taking fluid or skin from wounds or blisters that are suspected to be the entry point for the anthrax-causing bacteria. The sample is then taken to the laboratory for further examination.
- Blood tests are carried out by taking blood to determine whether there are anthrax bacteria in the blood.
- Chest X-ray is performed to determine whether there are abnormalities in the lungs that occur due to inhaling anthrax spores.
- A fecal examination is conducted by taking a sample of the sufferer’s feces to be examined in the laboratory. The examination is intended to determine whether there are bacteria that cause anthrax in the feces.
- Lumbar puncture is performed by inserting a needle into a gap in the spine. The procedure is performed to collect a sample of spinal fluid, which is then further examined in the laboratory.
Anthrax Treatment
Treatment of anthrax disease will be more effective and maximal if done as soon as possible. Doctors will usually give several types of antibiotics to maximize the effectiveness of anthrax treatment.
Meanwhile, the success rate of treatment usually depends on the age, health condition of the sufferer, and the area of the body that is infected.
Anthrax Complications
Anthrax that is not treated immediately or is not treated properly can lead to various serious complications.
Complications include inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord or meningitis. This condition can cause severe bleeding and lead to death.
Anthrax Prevention
Anthrax disease can be prevented easily, the way to prevent anthrax is of course to avoid various factors that increase the risk or cause it. These include:
- Make sure the meat you are going to eat has been cleaned and cooked thoroughly.
- Get vaccinated against anthrax, especially if you are in an area at risk of contracting this health problem.
- Avoid direct contact with livestock infected with anthrax.
