forms of anthrax disease
Last reviewed 01/2018
Traditionally anthrax is classified in two ways:
- route by which the disease was contracted
- cutaneous - acquired through a skin lesion
- pulmonary - after ingestion of contaminated food, primarily meat from an animal that died of the disease
- gastrointestinal - from breathing in airborne anthrax spores
- injection anthrax
- exposure through occupation
- non-industrial anthrax
- occurs in farmers, butchers, knackers/renderers, veterinarians, etc
- usually manifests itself as the cutaneous form
- tends to be seasonal and parallels the seasonal incidence in the animals from which it is contracted
- industrial anthrax
- seen in those employed in the processing of bones, hides, wool and other animal products
- mainly presents as the inhalational form due to spore-laden dust exposure (1)
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