Anthrax is dangerous, how to prevent it?

According to the Center for Disease Control of Dien Bien province, in May 2023, in Tua Chua district (Dien Bien), 3 outbreaks of cutaneous anthrax were recorded with 13 cases. Authorities also continued to record 132 more people who had contact with and eaten meat from 3 buffaloes and cows in the above outbreaks. Symptoms include: blisters, ulcers on the skin. Some people have symptoms of headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, and body aches.

Black lesions are a typical symptom of anthrax.

How is anthrax spread?

Dr. Ho Thanh Lich, Deputy Head of the Department of Intensive Care - Emergency, Saigon South International General Hospital, said that exposure to anthrax can cause serious illness in both humans and animals. However, anthrax is not contagious, meaning you cannot catch it like a cold or flu.

Dr. Truong Huu Khanh, Consultant of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital 1 (HCMC), said that spores of the disease-causing bacteria are present in the soil but normally it is difficult for them to naturally enter the wound to cause the disease. The most common cause is contact with sick animals such as cattle, sheep, because bacteria or spores can penetrate the skin with wounds.

Anthrax is more common in animals than in humans, so people are at higher risk of getting anthrax if the bacteria get into a cut or scratch. Infection can also occur if spores are inhaled or if meat from an infected animal is eaten. People who get the disease often have serious symptoms. This is why this disease is currently a threat to the world, especially because it is a pathogen that can be used in biological weapons.

Symptoms of anthrax infection

According to Dr. Lich, the incubation period until symptoms appear is usually from a few hours to 7 days, most cases occurring within 48 hours of exposure. And depending on the route of infection, there will be different manifestations, there are 3 main types such as cutaneous anthrax, respiratory anthrax, and gastrointestinal anthrax.

Cutaneous anthrax will appear as blisters, small bumps and itching like insect bites. Mild swelling around the wound and swelling at the peak of the disease. The wound appears on the skin with a black appearance inside the wound center after the blisters and small bumps subside.

Inhalational anthrax is rare in nature but can easily cause disease if anthrax spores are used as a biological weapon. When anthrax spores are used in aerosol form, they can travel far in the atmosphere and penetrate the respiratory tract, causing disease with a high fatality rate.

Symptoms include fever and chills, chest discomfort and difficulty breathing, dry cough, chest pain when coughing, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, body aches, and mental fatigue.

Gastrointestinal anthrax is difficult to recognize, the patient can go into shock and die within 2-5 days after the onset of the disease with symptoms such as fever and chills. Swelling in the neck or neck lymph nodes, sore throat, pain when swallowing, hoarseness or loss of voice, nausea and vomiting, especially vomiting blood, abdominal pain, diarrhea (some cases of bloody diarrhea), headache, dizziness, fainting, fatigue.

When symptoms appear, go to a medical facility immediately for timely examination.

How to prevent anthrax?

To prevent the disease, Dr. Thanh Lich recommends that patients do not come into contact with, slaughter, or eat sick livestock. People who frequently come into contact with sick or dead livestock (of unknown cause) should wear boots, rubber gloves, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts; avoid exposed or damaged skin from coming into contact with livestock.

After contact with pets, people must wash their hands and any exposed skin with soap and running water. If a family member shows signs of anthrax, the victim must be taken to the nearest medical facility for timely treatment and the local authorities must be notified to investigate and handle the outbreak.

"People need to pay attention to food safety, eat cooked food and drink boiled water. Keep the body clean, take care and pay attention to scratches or open wounds on the skin," Dr. Lich advised.

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