HOW DO PEOPLE GET ANTHRAX?
About 95 percent of all cases worldwide result from skin contact - bacterial spores that land on a scratch or other broken skin. It can also cause infection if breathed into the lungs or eaten, but these are much less common.
DOES THE SAME GERM CAUSE ALL FORMS OF ANTHRAX?
Yes
IS IT CONTAGIOUS?
No. Infected people do not spread the bacteria to others.
HOW IS IT TREATED?
A variety of antibiotics are extremely effective for skin anthrax. Among them are doxycycline, penicillin and Cipro.
SHOULD I TAKE ANTIBIOTICS NOW, JUST IN CASE I MIGHT ENCOUNTER THE GERM?
No, people should not take antibiotics unless they have reason to think they were exposed to the bacteria. The treatments can cause side effects and should not be used inappropriately.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SKIN ANTHRAX?
It starts with a painless blister that is red around the edges. A day or two later this becomes a black open sore, which dries up to leave a black scab, which falls off after a week or two.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF INHALED ANTHRAX?
Fever, coughing, weakness, and chest pains.
WHY IS INHALED ANTHRAX WORSE THAN SKIN ANTHRAX?
Inhaled Anthrax produces an abundance of toxins in the blood which antibiotics cannot defend against.
HOW BIG ARE ANTHRAX SPORES?
Between 1 and 5 microns (one micron is 1000 times smaller than 1 millimeter).
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