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In 2001 in America soon after the terrorist attacks of 9/1. Letters laced with anthrax began appearing in USA mails. Five Americans were killed and 17 were sickened in what became the worst biological attacks in US history.
Three weeks ago, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited Benue State, and casually mentioned that ranching will be adopted in Benue State.
Most of the readers of “Doctor Sun Column”, are from Benue State. Two people sent me texts, one text was on animal diseases and the other text was on anthrax.
I browsed through my archives and found that I had never written anything on anthrax, since 2003 when the column debuted. Wow! I exclaimed to no one in particular. “Do you mean for 22 years and counting I had not discussed anthrax and its attendant hazards.
People had always wanted to know what anthrax is, or how it could cause illness and how it could be contracted.
Anthrax is also called “malignant pustule” or “wool sorters disease” it is an acute, infectious, febrile disease of animals and humans caused by “Becillus anthracis”, a bacterium that under certain conditions, forms highly resistant spores capable of persisting and retaining their virulence for many years.
Although anthrax, most commonly affects grazing animals such as cattle sheep, goats’ horses, and mules, humans can develop the disease by eating the meat or handling the wool, hair, hides, bones or carcasses’ of affected animals.
Anthrax derived its name from the Greek word for “coal attacks” of a person’s skin, a sore with a coal – black center develop.
Anthrax spores can also be produced inexpensively and converted into either power or a liquid, allowing anthrax to be used in a variety of weapons systems. Its potentially use as a biological weapon has made anthrax a prime concern of countries seeking to control the spread of terrorism.
Anthrax is uncommon in Western Europe, but seen in Middle East and India subcontinent where it is readily used as an agent in terrorism. Anthrax is also found in Africa, Asia and Latin American.
In 1958, approximately 100,000 cases of anthrax occurred worldwide. Exact figures do not exist because of reporting difficulties in Africa.
It is endemic in Africa and Asia despite vaccination programs.
Sporadic outbreaks have occurred in Northern Nigeria as a result of both grazing, agriculture and terrorisms disruptions, but did not spread to epidemic proportions.
In 1978 Rhodesian (Now Zimbabwe) civil war, failure of veterinary vaccination programs, led to human epidemic causing 6,500 cases and 100 fatalities.
A mishap at a military microbiology facility in Sverdlovsk in the former soviet Union in 1979resulted in at least 66 deaths. Human anthrax often is associated with agricultural or industrial workers who come in contact with infected animal tissue.
There are no racial, sexual or age predilections for anthrax. However, because – anthrax is often related to industrial exposure and farming, the disease most often affects young and middle aged adults. Persons of any age can, of course be affected if anthrax is used as a bio-terrorist weapon.
There are usually three types of anthrax. Cutaneous anthrax that affects the skin, pulmonary anthrax that affects the lungs and intestinal anthrax.
For cutaneous anthrax, the bacteria enter the body via a cut or graze. The skin becomes itchy then develops a sore that turns into a blister. The blister (vesicle), may break and bleed. Within two to seven days the broken blister becomes sunken, dark coloured or black scab, which is usually painless. Without treatment the infection can spread to the lymph nodes or blood (septicemia).
Death is rare with the right antibiotic. The mortality rate from untreated cutaneous anthrax is 5 – 20 percent.
Pulmonary (inhalation) anthrax, is a rare lung infection that can occur when bacteria spores are inhaled. At first, the infection seems like a mild upper respiratory tract infection, such as cold or catarrh. The person’s health. Rapidly deteriorates over the next few days with severe breathing problems and shock. Without treatment the mortality rate is 70 to 80 percent. In many cases, pulmonary anthrax is fatal even when treated.
Intestinal anthrax is very rare, it occurs if a person eats the undercooked meat of an infected animal, usually one that has died in the field. Early symptoms include nausea, vomiting, vomiting blood, diarrhoea, and high temperatures.
If the infection spreads to the blood (septicemia) , the death rate is between 25 and 60 percent.
To contract anthrax you must come in direct contact with anthrax spores. This is more likely if.
• You are in the military and deployed to an area with a high risk of exposure to anthrax.
• You work with anthrax in a laboratory setting.
• You handle animal skins furs or wool from areas with a high incident of anthrax.
• You work in veterinary medicine, especially if you deal with livestock.
• You handle or dress game animals in the United States, seasonal outbreaks of anthrax are common among livestock and game animals such as deer.
• You inject illegal drugs, such as heroin.
Symptoms of anthrax differ depending on the types of anthrax. Symptom of cutaneous anthrax starts 1 to 7 days after exposure. An itchy sore develops that is similar to an insect bite. The sore may blister and form a black ulcer – sore or eschar.
The sore is usually painless, but it is often surrounded by swelling. A scab often forms, and then dries and falls off within 2 weeks. Complete healing can take longer.
The inhalation anthrax begins with fever, malaise, headache, and cough, shortness of breath and chest pain. Fever and shock may occur later.
The symptoms of gastro – intestinal anthrax usually occur within I week and may include, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea, diarrhoea, fever, mouth sores, nausea and vomiting (which may contain blood).
The most serious complication of anthrax is inflammation of the membranes and fluid covering the brain and spinal cord, leading to massive bleeding – hemorrhagic meningitis and death.
All types of anthrax infection can be treated with antibiotics. The antibiotics selected for treatment is based on the typed of infection and the patient’s medical history.
Antitoxins can be used to treat anthrax because antitoxins can also be used in conjunction with other treatment options.
The longer anthrax treatment is delayed, the greater the risk of death. Thus, treatment is usually started as soon as doctors suspect that people have anthrax.
Other treatments may include mechanical ventilation to help with breathing and fluids and drugs to increase blood pressure.
Always be medically guided
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