The Anthrax

The Anthrax is an acute infectious disease and severe, produced by the spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which is very common in agricultural areas. In general, attacks domestic animals like cows, sheep, goats, pigs, horses.. as well as some wild animals. It can also affect people who have contact with sick or dead animals because of this disease, as the skin or hair of these animals may contain spores of the bacterium and transmit them to those who tap.

Likewise, if you eat poorly cooked meat from an infected animal is no possibility of disease.The Anthrax is known since antiquity, and has historical references of the disease in Egypt, Greece, India and Rome.It even thinks, it is likely that many of the epidemics that occurred in Europe during the Middle Ages, both animal and human, were caused this bacterium.

For the Industrial Revolution many cases were diagnosed among workers looms and other animal products in England and Germany.In 1876, the German biologist Robert Koch confirmed bacteriological the origin of the disease, and five years after Louis Pasteur successfully managed to vaccinate spore attenuated. During the two World Wars, spores were used as a biological weapon, and since then have been conducting research for the same purposes, in countries such as Japan, the former Soviet Union, the United States and Iraq.

The symptoms of anthrax vary, depending on how contracted the infection, and appear after 4 to 7 days after infection.The cutaneous anthrax occurs when the bacterium enters a wound on the skin. Starts as a bulging, similar to that produced by the bite of an insect, which is developed to produce an almost painless ulcer, with dead tissue in the center. This type of infection can produce a death rate of 20 per cent if they are not receiving medical care.

The anthrax that occurs through inhalation generates a disorder respiraorio. Its symptoms are similar to those of a common cold, however, after several days may be complicated even lead to death.

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