Introduction

Classification

Taxonomy

• Genus: bacillus.
• Species: anthracis.

Active Forms

Resting Forms

Clinical Effects

Epidemiology

Habitat

• Infected soil.
• Burial sites.
• Tannery effluent.

Transmission

• Dogs and cats infected by eating raw contaminated meat.
• Occasionally percutaneous.

Pathological effects

• Inflammation and necrosis of upper gastrointestinal tract following oral infection.
• Subsequent necrosis of mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and liver.
• Pathogenic toxins produced.

Other Host Effects

• Dogs (and cats) relatively resistant to infection.

Control

Control via chemotherapies

• Sensitive to penicillin and many other antibiotics Therapeutics: antimicrobial drug.

Control via environment

• Special disinfection precedures required.

Other countermeasures

• Prevent dogs (and cats) from eating raw contaminated meat.

Diagnosis

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Hanna P (1998) How anthrax kills. Science 280 (5370), 1671, 1673-4 PubMed.
• Creel S, Marusha-Creel N, Matovelo J A et al (1995) The effects of anthrax on endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). J Zool 236 (2), 199-209 Wiley Online Library.