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Symptoms of anthrax
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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The incubation period of anthrax is usually 2-3 days, but 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 anthrax. At the site of the pathogen's entry point, 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. At the site of the pustule, a quickly blackening and enlarging scab forms. The scabs merge with each other and form a dark, hard, often slightly concave and bumpy crust. At this time, an infiltrate develops under the scab in the form of a crimson shaft rising above the level of healthy skin, and edema joins in, sometimes capturing large areas, especially in places with loose subcutaneous tissue (face). In the affected area, pain is almost not felt, injections are painless.
Later, with the cutaneous form of anthrax, regional lymphadenitis occurs.
Gastrointestinal anthrax: characterized by sharp cutting pains in the abdomen, soon followed by nausea, bloody vomiting, bloody diarrhea, intestinal paresis. Anthrax damage to the intestines leads to irritation of the peritoneum, effusion, perforation and peritonitis.
Pulmonary anthrax: shortness of breath, chest pain, cyanosis of the mucous membranes, pale skin, difficult to separate serous or serous-hemorrhagic sputum appear early. In the lungs, dullness of percussion sound is determined in the lower sections, dry and moist rales are heard, pleurisy often occurs. Anthrax bacteria are found in large quantities in the sputum. With a progressive increase in cardiovascular failure, a fatal outcome occurs.
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