Anthrax is a rare but serious bacterial infection caused by the Gram-positive, spore-forming, bacterium Bacillus anthracis1. Spores are very resistant to damage and can remain dormant in the soil for decades. It is primarily a disease of herbivorous mammals. The disease occurs most often in wild and domestic animals in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe. Humans generally acquire the disease through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products2. Symptoms usually develop within two days of exposure for inhalation anthrax and 1-7 days with cutaneous anthrax.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/doctor/anthrax-pro