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Facts
about Anthrax
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming
bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs
in hoofed mammals and can also infect humans.
Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was
contracted, but usually occur within 7 days after exposure.
The serious forms of human anthrax are inhalation anthrax,
cutaneous anthrax, and intestinal anthrax.
Initial symptoms of inhalation anthrax infection may resemble
a common cold. After several days, the symptoms may progress
to severe breathing problems and shock. Inhalation anthrax
is often fatal.
The intestinal disease form of anthrax may follow the consumption
of contaminated food and is characterized by an acute inflammation
of the intestinal tract. Initial signs of nausea, loss of
appetite, vomiting, and fever are followed by abdominal pain,
vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea.
Direct person-to-person spread of anthrax is extremely unlikely,
if it occurs at all. Therefore, there is no need to immunize
or treat contacts of persons ill with anthrax, such as household
contacts, friends, or coworkers, unless they also were also
exposed to the same source of infection.
In persons exposed to anthrax, infection can be prevented
with antibiotic treatment.
Early antibiotic treatment of anthrax is essential–delay
lessens chances for survival. Anthrax usually is susceptible
to penicillin, doxycycline, and fluoroquinolones.
An anthrax vaccine also can prevent infection. Vaccination
against anthrax is not recommended for the general public
to prevent disease and is not available.
Top
Facts
about Botulism
Botulism is a muscle-paralyzing disease caused by a toxin
made by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum.
There are three main kinds of botulism:
- Foodborne botulism occurs
when a person ingests pre-formed toxin that leads to illness
within a few hours to days. Foodborne botulism is a public
health emergency because the contaminated food may still
be available to other persons besides the patient.
- Infant botulism occurs
in a small number of susceptible infants each year who harbor
C. botulinum in their intestinal tract.
- Wound botulism occurs when wounds are infected with C.
botulinum that secretes the toxin.
- With foodborne botulism,
symptoms begin within 6 hours to 2 weeks (most commonly
between 12 and 36 hours) after eating toxin-containing food.
Symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision,
drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing,
dry mouth, muscle weakness that always descends through
the body: first shoulders are affected, then upper arms,
lower arms, thighs, calves, etc. Paralysis of breathing
muscles can cause a person to stop breathing and die, unless
assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided.
Botulism is not spread from one person to another. Foodborne
botulism can occur in all age groups.
A supply of antitoxin against botulism is maintained by CDC.
The antitoxin is effective in reducing the severity of symptoms
if administered early in the course of the disease. Most patients
eventually recover after weeks to months of supportive care.
Top
Facts
about Pneumonic Plague
Plague is an infectious disease of animals and humans caused
by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis, is found in rodents
and their fleas in many areas around the world.
Pneumonic plague occurs when Y. pestis infects the lungs.
The first signs of illness in pneumonic plague are fever,
headache, weakness, and cough productive of bloody or watery
sputum. The pneumonia progresses over 2 to 4 days and may
cause septic shock and, without early treatment, death.
Person-to-person transmission of pneumonic plague occurs
through respiratory droplets, which can only infect those
who have face-to-face contact with the ill patient.
Early treatment of pneumonic plague is essential. Several
antibiotics are effective, including streptomycin, tetracycline,
and chloramphenicol.
There is no vaccine against plague.
Prophylactic antibiotic treatment for 7 days will protect
persons who have had face-to-face contact with infected patients.
Top
Facts
about Smallpox
Smallpox infection was eliminated from the world in 1977.
Smallpox is caused by variola virus. The incubation period
is about 12 days (range: 7 to 17 days) following exposure.
Initial symptoms include high fever, fatigue, and head and
back aches. A characteristic rash, most prominent on the face,
arms, and legs, follows in 2-3 days. The rash starts with
flat red lesions that evolve at the same rate. Lesions become
pus-filled and begin to crust early in the second week. Scabs
develop and then separate and fall off after about 3-4 weeks.
The majority of patients with smallpox recover, but death
occurs in up to 30% of cases.
Smallpox is spread from one person to another by infected
saliva droplets that expose a susceptible person having face-to-face
contact with the ill person. Persons with smallpox are most
infectious during the first week of illness, because that
is when the largest amount of virus is present in saliva.
However, some risk of transmission lasts until all scabs have
fallen off.
Routine vaccination against smallpox ended in 1972. The level
of immunity, if any, among persons who were vaccinated before
1972 is uncertain; therefore, these persons are assumed to
be susceptible.
Vaccination against smallpox is not recommended to prevent
the disease in the general public and therefore is not available.
In
people exposed to smallpox, the vaccine can lessen the severity
of or even prevent illness if given within 4 days after exposure.
Vaccine against smallpox contains another live virus called
vaccinia. The vaccine does not contain smallpox virus.
The United States currently has an emergency supply of smallpox
vaccine.
There is no proven treatment for smallpox but research to
evaluate new antiviral agents is ongoing. Patients with smallpox
can benefit from supportive therapy (intravenous fluids, medicine
to control fever or pain, etc.) and antibiotics for any secondary
bacterial infections that occur.
For more information
about Smallpox, click here
Source: Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
All information is general in nature and is not intended
to be used as a substitute for appropriate professional advice.
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