Anthrax in children

Anthrax is an acute infectious disease of animals and humans with severe intoxication, damage to the skin and lymphatic system.

ICD-10 code

• A22.0 Cutaneous anthrax (carbuncle, pustule).
• A22.1 Pulmonary anthrax (respiratory form; rag pickers' disease; wool sorters' disease).
• A.22.2 Gastrointestinal anthrax.
• A22.7 Anthrax septicemia.
• A22.8 Other forms of anthrax (anthrax meningitis).
• A22.9 Anthrax, unspecified.

Epidemiology of anthrax

The main source of infection are sick animals - cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels, donkeys, pigs. They are infectious throughout the entire period of the disease, releasing the pathogen into the external environment with urine, feces, bloody excrement of the lungs, saliva. After their death, all organs and tissues are infectious, including skins, wool, bones, etc.

Unlike animals, humans are not contagious to others.

Humans can become infected through contact, food, airborne, and transmission via infected insects - horseflies, sting flies, and mosquitoes.

Causes of anthrax

The causative agent of anthrax is the anthrax bacillus (Bacillus anthracis) - a large, immobile rod surrounded by a transparent capsule. Vegetative and spore forms are distinguished. Vegetative forms develop in a living organism or in young laboratory cultures.

Anthrax bacteria spores survive for decades in soil and water, for several months in animal fur, and for years in animal skins. Spore formation does not occur in living organisms or corpses.

The virulence of anthrax bacteria is associated with the ability to form a capsule and produce exotoxin.

Causes and pathogenesis of anthrax

Symptoms of anthrax

The incubation period is usually 2-3 days, rarely it can extend to 6-8 days or be reduced to several hours.

There are localized and generalized forms of anthrax. The most common is the localized (cutaneous) form of the disease.

Cutaneous form. At the site of the pathogen's entry gate, a reddish spot appears, quickly turning into a copper-red papule, accompanied by itching. A few hours later, a vesicle forms at the site of the papule, its contents are initially serous, then become dark and bloody. Often, patients scratch the pustule due to severe itching, less often it bursts itself, forming an ulcer. Abundant serous-hemorrhagic exudation occurs from the surface of the ulcer, "daughter" vesicles are formed, which, opening, cause eccentric growth of the ulcer.

Symptoms of anthrax

Diagnosis of anthrax

Laboratory diagnostics primarily involves isolating the pathogen. For microscopic examination, the contents of the pustule, pus, material from the carbuncle, blood, urine, sputum, feces, vomit are taken, and for autopsy - pieces of organs or whole organs. Microscopy can be combined with luminescent-serological analysis. To increase the probability of isolating cultures and to facilitate their identification, nutrient media are seeded with pathological material and experimental animals are infected.

Treatment of anthrax

The main means of action against the causative agent of anthrax are antibiotics in combination with anti-anthrax immunoglobulin.

Of the antibiotics, penicillin, ceporin, cephalosporin, azithromycin, levomycetin, and gentamicin are used in age-appropriate doses.

Diagnosis and treatment of anthrax

Prevention of anthrax

Preventive measures are aimed at preventing contact with sick animals, contaminated products and raw materials of animal origin.

Active immunization is carried out according to epidemiological indications for people aged 14 to 60 years. A live dry vaccine against anthrax is used, which is administered either cutaneously at 2 drops once, or subcutaneously at 0.5 ml (vaccine for cutaneous use, diluted 100 times) twice with an interval of 20-30 days and with subsequent revaccination after 12 months.

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