ANTHRAX

ETIOLOGIC AGENT: Bacillus anthracis

 spores are capable of surviving for years

 most strain are sensitive to Penicillin
 Cattle, sheep, horses, goats
 Contaminated soil and water

MODES OF TRANSMISSION:
A. Direct
B. Indirect
C. Airborne

HUMAN CASES ARE CASSIFIED AS :

✔ Agricultural Cases – during skinning, butchering or dissecting, bites of
contaminated or infected flies, consumption of infected meat
✔ Industrial Cases – exposure with contaminated hides, goat hair, wools or bones.

Types:
A. CUTANEOUS TYPE
➢ Incubation : 9 hrs – 2 hrs
➢ Small pimple appear or macule appear
➢ 4th day vesicular fluid may exudate
➢ Edema, lymph adenitis at the inguinal area ; secondary infection;
➢ 5th -7th day papules ulcerates – eschar
➢ Face, neck or chest – severity of manifestations
➢ Fever, toxemia, lymphadenopathy
➢ Shock and death
B. INHALATION ANTHRAX
➢ Severe viral respiratory disease
➢ 1-3 days acute phase ; severe fever, dyspnea, stidor, hypoxia, and
hypotension, death with in 24 hrs.
➢ Directly deposited in the alveoli or alveolar duct
➢ Hemorrhagic necrosis associated with hemorrhagic mediastinitis
C. GASTROINTESTINAL ANTHRAX
➢ Lesion in the intestine are formed
➢ Hemorrhagic lymphadenitis
➢ Fever, nausea, vomiting abdominal pain , bloody diarrhea and rarely ascitis
develop

Complications:
A. Anthrax Meningitis
 Elevated CSF pressure ; bloody CSF and death
 Fatality rate 100%

B. Anthrax Sepsis
 Develops after lymphohematogenous from the primary infection
 High fever, toxemia shock, death

TREATMENT:
✔ Parenteral Penicillin G – 2M Q6hrs till edema subside, oral Pen G to complete 7- 10
day course
✔ Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol, Erythromycin
Nursing interventions :
✔ Careful History Taking
✔ Through physical examination
✔ Skin care
✔ Psychological and emotional support