Historical background

Casimir Davaine first isolated this bacterium from the blood of sheep suffering from anthrax. B. anthracis was the first bacterium conclusively demonstrated to cause disease, by Robert Koch in 1877. The species name anthracis is from the Greek anthrakis (ἄνθραξ), meaning coal and referring to the most common form of the disease, cutaneous anthrax, in which large black skin lesions are formed.

Pathogenicity

main: Anthrax Three forms of anthrax disease are recognized based on their form of inoculation.
1.) Cutaneous: the most common form (95%), causes a localized inflammatory black necrotic lesion (eschar)
2.) Inhalation: highly fatal and characterized by sudden massive chest edema followed by cardiovascular shock
3.) Gastrointestinal: rare but also fatal (causes death to 25%) type results from ingestion of spores

Treatment

Infections with B. anthracis can be treated with β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin, and others which are active against Gram-positive bacteria.

External links

• Hazards in Animal Research Database - Bacillus anthracis
• Pathema-Bacillus Resource

References