Deadly bacteria: Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. (Pic: US Centres for Disease Control & Prevention)

Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis.

It most commonly occurs in livestock like cattle and sheep, and it can also infect humans. However, person-to-person transmission is very rare.

Anthrax organisms can cause infection in the skin, gastrointestinal tract, or the lungs. To do so, the organism must be rubbed into abraded skin, swallowed, or inhaled as a fine aerosolised mist. The incubation period ranges from one to seven days.

The disease can be classified into three types:

Cutaneous anthrax: Occurs when the bacterium enters skin wounds. It begins as a raised itchy lesion and develops into a painless ulcer with a black centre. Lymph glands in the adjacent area may swell. Death rate can be lower than 1% if there is early treatment.

Inhalation anthrax: Initial symptoms resemble a common cold. After several days, severe breathing problems and shock may develop. Inhalation anthrax without early treatment is usually fatal, the death rate can be up to 75%.

Intestinal anthrax: Initial symptoms include nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever and severe diarrhoea. Without early treatment, the death rate is 25% to 60%.

To prevent anthrax, people should:

* Maintain good personal, food and environmental hygiene;

* Wash hands properly before handling food; and,

* Thoroughly wash and cook food before consumption.