Pathogen (bacteria) anthrax: symptoms and treatment of disease

Bacillus antracis

Anthrax can be transmitted by contact. It forms a serous hemorrhagic lesions of the skin and other organs, due to severe intoxication.

Bacillus antracis - bacteria are incapable of movement, and related to gram-positive group. Usually smears it manifests itself in blue. It is well cultivated and forms colonies that stretch from the centre.

Characterized the causative agent of anthrax their pathogenic factors:

• When the penetration into the body it is covered with a capsule, thereby protecting the bacterium from the response of the immune system (phagocytosis).
• Also it is resistant to the effects of environmental factors. When conditions that prevent its further life, it is covered with a protective spore and resting before the onset of favorable conditions.
• They are composed of somatic and capsular antigen. It helps remove the results when using the reaction of Ascoli to the diagnosis of the disease.
• In addition to the antigens, there is another toxin which is formed from three components: a factor OF swelling. He remained in large numbers in the cells Zamf, increase the output of sodium, chloride and water into space, forming a pasty body. PA protective antigen. When the penetration forms an immunity. LF lethal factor. The most dangerous component, causing the death of the body. It has a cytotoxic effect and enhances the pasty, causing pulmonary edema.

Vegetative forms of bacteria are also resistant, but with increasing temperature more than 76oS die in 6-12 minutes. When putrid rotting animals, these microorganisms are able to live for about a week. Fast enough Bacillus antracis die while boiling and disinfection of various antiseptics.

Autoclaving their death happens for 50 minutes. If they are in dry heat at a temperature of more than 150C, for a fatal outcome requires 3-3.5 hours.

While the direct impact of UV rays on bacteria that they die in the period of 2-3 weeks. More than a quick death spores comes in disinfectants for 1.5 - 2 hours.

They observed increased sensitivity, and it depends on the route of infection, dose of infection, and susceptibility of the host organism to the pathogen. Common anthrax bacteria everywhere, but bole frequent epidemics were marked in areas with temperate climates, and in areas with a large number of animals. The most important time of year for the spread of this infection is the spring and autumn period.

The life cycle of the causative agent almost always the same: burial of infected animals →cyst formation→receive infected plant foods with healthy animals→infection. Dangerous feature that has anthrax is a education long-term soil local points "damned fields", where it is impossible to graze animals. These centers can be divided into: vocational agricultural, consumer and professional-industrial.

What causes disease?

The main positive sources are soil (hence the second name of the disease – spresovannoe), Pets, animals, wild animals together with the faeces and blood of the isolated pathogenic bacteria. The bacterium can wilt in the body through contact, nutritional, air-dust, vector-borne path.

What are the symptoms for anthrax?

The ripening period of the disease from the penetration of bacteria in a healthy body and to the initial symptoms can occur from hours to 3 weeks, however, the average duration of 3-4 days.

It all depends on how the path of infiltrated bacteria and in which dosage.

For example, if the infection is passed by contact through the skin epidermis, the maturation of the infection will last from 2 to 15 days. When the penetration of infection from food or air, is formed in a generalized form, where the infection starts to show literally after 3-4 hours after penetration of the pathogen, and the lethal outcome occurs within 3-4 days. But do not think that the contact route of infection is not a generalization, it just evolves so quickly.

The primary symptoms start very hard. Wherever the bacterium entered, all the symptoms begin to manifest the same way – starts withthe damage of vascular endothelium due to the action of the toxin, in this regard, they become impermeable, formed of serous hemorrhagic pastoznost, starts the inflammatory response and loss of sensitivity to the point of entry:

• Formed when bacterium on the skin epidermis, in this area there is a red-blue spot, resembling a bruise or a bite mark → after a short period of time, begins the development of the spot and goes into the pimple (papule) dark wash→ then it goes into a bottle of purulent contents and subsequent overgrowth. In addition to the overgrowth symptoms: burning, irritation, scratching, and after the disclosure of the bubbles, remains ulcer covered with eschar. This suggests the formation of a carbuncle (skin and areas around the hair follicle become red, inflamed). These areas become pasty and lose their sensitivity. In the vicinity of carbuncle inflammation of the lymphatic vessels and nodes. They become dense, and begins a slight swelling. This is a very important symptom and means of introducing bacteria to the lymph nodes. These skin lesions occur because of intoxication and fever. They manifest themselves: dizziness, deterioration of General condition, hypotension, tremor. After a week in intensive and good therapy all wounds scar, and normalization of temperature. A month later, the scab comes off and the ulcer healing.
• Generalized form can be either primary (through food or air) and secondary (septicaemia due to transport of microorganisms via lymph or blood). Disease begins very sharply. Marked tremor, dizziness, nausea, increased pulse, hypotension, muffled heart tones, trembling. When infection occurs through the air path, the generalized form occurs in the respiratory system. It manifests symptoms: pressing sensation in the chest, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, pleurisy, wheezing. The fatal outcome in this disease occurs in 92% .People die enough in a short time for 3-4 days.
• When infection is caused by food generalized form in the gastrointestinal tract. For this form has the following symptoms: severe spazmiruyutsya pain, vomiting blood, bloody diarrhea, peritonitis, paresis.

How to treat anthrax?

Treatment of mixed and should contain the etiotropic, pathogenetic, symptomatic drugs. When it came to the symptoms, you need to be in bed, diet, eat liquid food (a drip-intravenous) and to observe a strict treatment.

• To the anthrax died, used causal treatment. This is recommended media: doxycycline, pefloxacin, amikacin, ampicillin, rifamycin. They can be used with a duration of 1-2 weeks, and the reception time depends on the severity of the disease.
• With regard to pathogenetic therapy, the treatment is the introduction of protivovirusnogo immunoglobulin.
• Treatment of the local methods lies in the disinfection of injured skin with antiseptic. Bandages are not applied, and surgical intervention is not carried out.
• When it comes to life threatening and can occur infectionamoxicillin shock, then treatment is with prednisolone and polyionic solution with polyglucinum, gemodez.

To be in the hospital recovering people is possible only when there is a scab and the scar is formed. If the patient had generalized form, the statement is only possible if a bacteriological diagnosis showed a negative response, which is conducted with a week interval. Home do not self medicate.

What consequences occur after the disease?

• Acute respiratory failure.
• Inflammation of the meninges.
• Sepsis.
• Infectious-toxic shock.

What preventive measures carried out?

• Conducting a study on animals, the detection make treatment or immobilization of animals. If there is a disease outbreak, it is necessary a rigorous study, the destruction of the bodies of animals, disinfection of livestock and immunization of farm animals.
• Routine prophylaxis vaccine for animals possibly infected areas and unplanned (if there is a risk of infection).