Anthrax is a good, scary topic that deserves a brief review. There are three ways you can get anthrax: cutaneous, inhalation, and alimentary. Cutaneous anthrax is by far the most common type, often associated with farming and ranching. The spores get into the skin through cuts or scrapes and then multiply locally. The disease begins with a very small pimple that quickly enlarges and often blisters. It the erodes and leaves and painless necrotic ulcer with a black covering. The surrounding tissue swells up due to the toxin released by the bacteria and lymph node swelling and pain can occur. Symptoms of fever, malaise, and headache can occur. Fatality from cutaneous anthrax is very rare with antibiotic treatment and is quoted at less than 1 percent. Without treatment though, mortality can be as high as 1/5 infections. Treatment will be described below after reviewing the other types of anthrax infection.
Inhalation of anthrax can cause a much more serious infection, which is obvious. Animal products contaminated with anthrax can aerosolize and then be inhaled. Also, terrorist or government attacks with anthrax will do the same thing on a much grander scale. The first symptoms of inhalation anthrax mimic influenza, and can be tough to diagnose without a clue as to the possible source. After the initial symptoms, rapid multiplication of bacteria and the subsequent release of toxin occurs. This can cause necrotic pneumonia and death. The key is treating anthrax early in the initial stage, rather than later when it is likely to do no good. Most inhalation anthrax is fatal, without a known exposure and high suspicion to treat, the rate is over 90%.
Lastly, you can actually ingest anthrax from undercooked, infected meat. Why you would eat uncooked, infected meat is beyond comprehension. It happens though. The spores can then infect any of the tissues from “tip to tail” as commonly said. GI infection is more common than mouth and throat infection, and the symptoms range from gastroenteritis-like illness to full blown liver failure and low blood pressures. Mortality is higher with oral infection, even with treatment it can be up to 60 percent. GI infection mortality is as low as 4% with treatment. Higher without, obviously. All forms can end up causing anthrax meningitis and the survival from brain involvement is about 6 percent.
Diagnosis of anthrax now is hard…WTSHTF it will be impossible. There will be no cultures and lab confirmations. Suspicion will be the best you can go on. Obviously, when working around animals it is best to wear a dust mask or bandana to prevent inhalation. Cook your meat and of course don’t eat diseased animals. Cutaneous anthrax is the most likely cause now and will be even more so when there are more people going “back to the land”, especially those unfamiliar with animals and farming. Classic anthrax skin lesions are found here and here for your oogling. On suspicion of an anthrax infection, treatment needs to be aggressive and early.
Treatment for anthrax infection is pretty simple: antibiotics that will likely kill it. These include ciprofloxacin, Doxycycline, tetracycline, clindamycin, clarithromycin, rifampin, vancomycin, imipenem, and chloramphenicol. Most of the recommendations include testing for sensitivity, again, not available at TEOTWAWKI. Best recommendations are ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily or Doxycycline 100 mg twice daily; both for at least 7 days if not 10 days. Luckily, Doxycycline and ciprofloxacin are currently readily available and very affordable with a prescription.
So, that is my brief anthrax review for you. Questions and suggestions are always welcome. We regularly edit our posts with smart reader information and are grateful to have it. Always feel free to e-mail us at survivinghealthy@hotmail.com with suggestions for future topics, as well. Stay strong.
JWR Adds: Dr. Bob is is one of the few consulting physicians in the U.S. who dispenses antibiotics for disaster preparedness as part of his normal scope of practice. His web site is: SurvivingHealthy.com.