Anthrax << AN thraks >> is a serious infectious disease that chiefly affects animals but can also occur in people. It is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax usually affects plant-eating animals infected by eating anthrax spores (inactive bacteria) from the soil. Anthrax spores can survive harsh conditions and occur in soil throughout the world, including the United States. People can get anthrax through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products. But naturally occurring anthrax is rare in human beings today.
In people, anthrax infection can occur in three main forms: inhalational, caused by breathing in spores; cutaneous, caused by spores infecting skin sores; and gastrointestinal, caused by swallowing spores. Inhalational anthrax causes a severe illness that begins in the chest and rapidly spreads through the body. Cutaneous anthrax, the most common form, can cause a severe skin infection. Gastrointestinal anthrax results from eating undercooked, contaminated meat. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bloody diarrhea. Anthrax can be cured with antibiotics if patients receive treatment early. However, inhalational and gastrointestinal anthrax are often fatal if not rapidly treated.
Some nations and international terrorist groups are known to have or suspected of having developed anthrax as a biological weapon. In 1979, the accidental release of anthrax spores from a military facility in the Soviet Union caused 68 deaths. In the 1990’s, Russia—which had been the largest part of the Soviet Union—announced it had ended all biological weapons programs. In 2001, anthrax spores were used as a weapon when they were sent through the United States mail to several business and government offices. As a result, a number of office buildings and post office facilities were contaminated. Some people became ill with inhalational anthrax, and several died. Others contracted cutaneous anthrax. In 2008, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation declared that a government scientist had carried out the attack. However, the scientist ended his own life before he could be charged with the crime.
