Anthrax

Context: In 1922. On December 8^th, the International Anthrax Commission has passed a resolution requiring the hairs and wools used in brush-making, upholstering and textile industries be disinfected before they are handled industrially.

About Anthrax:

• Anthrax is a zoonotic disease (could be transferred from animals to humans) caused by the spore-producing bacterium Bacillus anthracis.
• Reservoirs are grass-eating animals, and the spores can survive in the environment for decades.
• It is usually a disease of wild and domestic animals, including cattle, sheep, and goats.
• Human infection, while rare, does occur.
• Human infection usually results from contact with infected animals or their products.

Types of Anthrax:

• cutaneous (through the skin),
• gastrointestinal, and
• There have been no confirmed cases of person-to-person transmission of cutaneous, gastrointestinal, or inhalational anthrax.
• Anthrax is most common in developing countries.
• The largest reported agricultural outbreak occurred in Zimbabwe, with more than 10,000 cases reported between 1979 and 1985.

Treatment:

• Antibiotics, such as penicillin, are used to treat all forms of anthrax.
• An antibiotic known as ciprofloxacin (Cipro) was approved in August 2000 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating people who have been exposed to inhalational anthrax.

Source: The Hindu