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Anthrax: pathogen, vaccine, photo

Anthrax is an incredibly dangerous disease that is known to science for quite some time. The causative agent of the sores acts as a major Bacillus (B. anthracis). Let's talk more specifically about the causative agent of this disease, its habitat, growth and modes of transmission, and prevention and vaccination.

Survival and characteristics of the microbe

Getting in adverse conditions, the pathogenic microbe just forms a spore, which can be in this state for a long time. After the dispute falls under normal conditions, it germinates, and this happens just a few hours.

Important! The microbe of anthrax is completely unpretentious, so the conditions for its existence can be the surface of the straw, raw and cooked potatoes, cereals, peas them etc, which further raises the risk of infection for the man, as the germ in the hearth of infection can be almost anywhere.

Particularly strong are able to show the growth of the microbes on the meat, and after 24 hours after infection, the surface of the meat appear

However, anthrax spores endurance several orders of magnitude higher, in addition, they are generally unable to survive in the environment longer than all known pathogenic microbes. Define the main points:

  • Anthrax spores can withstand dry heat 120-140°C for 2-3 h.
  • Autoclaving at 120°C for 5-10 min.
  • Ethanol in concentrations from 25% to absolute kills spores in 50 days.
  • 5-10% chloramine solution kills them in a few hours.

Pathogenicity and incubation period

Typically, anthrax most commonly affects what livestock. Contamination occurs through animal feed, is the most frequent route of entry of the disease, thus, develop the intestinal form of anthrax. In front of her and stands out on a huge number of microbes with the dung of the animal.

The incubation period for anthrax is extremely small and only lasts 72 hours. Depending on the infection there are three forms of ulcers:

  1. Skin.
  2. Pulmonary.
  3. Intestinal.

In humans, most common cutaneous form, which is characterized by the appearance of red spots, which is converted into a papule or pustules, and eventually, the spread of the inflammatory process in anthrax carbuncle. Localized lesion is most often on exposed parts of the body such as hands, face.

Signs of developing anthrax

We describe the development of anthrax, which is characterized by a specific current:2

  • The General condition of the infected is always residual heavy.
  • The body temperature rises to 40°C.
  • Diagnosed a severe headache and increase inthe regional lymph nodes.

Important! Cutaneous anthrax with timely treatment pretty quickly and ends in complete recovery.

However, when complications and untreated, anthrax enters the bloodstream and can lead to death.

 

Pulmonary anthrax can only develop in humans, and it is the same as the intestinal form of the incurable, the forecast is always unfavorable, the disease ends in death!

To anthrax in humans is not formed by the immune system , so it is likely re-infection.

Vaccine

There are two types of vaccine:

  • Live vaccine STI. Here are the bacilli of anthrax, however, they weakened, and, getting into the human body, provoke the production of a large number of antibodies. Therefore, if anthrax gets into the human body is already vaccinated, antibody sufficient for the complete destruction of the disease.
  • Combining vaccine. Composed of living anthrax spores and bacteria antigen, which is sorbed on aluminium hydroxide

Vaccination is not mandatory and is shown only to those people that conduct activities involving high risk of exposure to anthrax. The effectiveness of the vaccination remains high and accounts for 90% protection.