Anthrax: Features, Treatment, and Prevention - Essay Example

It is known to produce toxins (exotoxin) both in virulent and avirulent forms and contains antigenically active components the lipoproteins, known to be highly thermolabile. They are of three types:
- Edema Factor also called Factor I,
- Protective Antigen also called Factor II,
- Lethal Factor also called Factor III

Factor I and II produce Edema, while Factors II and III can be dreaded resulting in the death of the organism, http://www.kcom.edu/.

Symptoms: The causal agent does not cause the infection immediately but requires an incubation period from 7 to 60 days. The initial symptoms are similar to flu with a very high temperature > 100° F followed by coolness or sweat. It may give chest distress, difficulty in breathing, muscular fatigue. The symptoms also include a non-productive cough, aching throat, headache and nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal distress, vomiting, or diarrhea (Mikesell).

Types of anthrax infection:
1. Cutaneous anthrax (skin): The causal organism gains entry in the body through a cut or an abrasion especially when a person encounters either contaminated animal products or diseased animals. The organism establishes the infection with a raised bump similar to an insect or mosquito bite, followed by itching. After 1-2 days it develops into a vesicle which takes the form of a painless ulcer. This ulcer after 7-10 days becomes black necrotic in the center called eschar. The body responds to this by swelling in the adjacent lymph glands. Fever, headache, and distress occur. It could be fatal if antimicrobial treatment is not given.

2. Inhalation anthrax: The incubation period varies from 2 to 60 days. The symptoms are similar to the common cold or sore throat with a mild fever and muscular pain and malaise. It is not contagious but if untreated the condition results in severe breathing discomfort, shock, symptoms like pneumonia, or may give rise to meningitis. It may become fatal in 24 to 36 hrs.

3. Gastrointestinal anthrax: It is a more severe form of anthrax than the cutaneous form, caused by the consumption of contaminated animal products. This is featured by acute inflammation of the intestinal tract. The condition onset with nausea, vomiting with blood, followed by loss of appetite, fever, severe abdominal pain, and severe diarrhea with blood. It may be fatal in 25-60% of the cases as ascites fill the abdomen, followed by shock and death within 2-5 days.

4. Oropharyngeal anthrax: It is not a popular form of anthrax. This encompasses fever, swelling in the lymph nodes especially in the cervical region, and severe throat pain and discomfort in swallowing. Sometimes ulcers may appear at the basal region of the tongue. If the condition is not cured then breathing distress occurs (http://www.bt.cdc.gov).

The disease is not contagious but the fomites of the patients may be contaminated with the spores of the causal organism. Decontamination of people and belongings is crucial with an antimicrobial agent or with bleach especially formaldehyde as chlorine is ineffective to kill vegetative cells and also the spores. Articles can be decontaminated by boiling them in water for at least 30 mins.

Timely care and antibiotic therapy can enhance the chances of survival of the victims. Therapy can be started with the oral course of antibiotics followed by intravenous doses (IV).

Fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin (cipro), doxycycline, erythromycin, vancomycin, or penicillin. Early antibiotic prophylaxis can prevent the disease from taking its fatal form.

Quarantine should be strictly done if the cause of death is anthrax. Ultra care is required even for the blood sample taken for analyses. No direct contact with the dead person is to be made. Organisms can be visualized under the microscope when stained with methylene blue (MCFadyean stain), the size of the bacilli ranges from 0.5-5 µm (http://www.webmd.com).