Anthrax exposure routes

There is a vaccine available for the prevention of anthrax, but it is only available to those who are at significant risk for anthrax exposure, such as military personnel and veterinarians. Postexposure treatment of individuals is with a course of antibiotics before symptoms appear if exposure is suspected, or as soon as symptoms are noted. Prompt treatment is usually effective however, success is dependent upon exposure dosage, route of exposure, and individual susceptibility factors. 

Depending on the route of exposure to this biological agent, the exposed person may experience inhalation anthrax, cutaneous anthrax, or gastrointestinal anthrax. Any one of these forms can be complicated by meningitis occurring in about 5% of cases when anthrax bacilli enter the central nervous system via the bloodstream and eventually reach the blood-brain barrier. 

Two tetracyclines have sufficiently distinctive features to warrant separate mention. Doxycycline, with its longer half-hfe and lack of nephrotoxicity, is a popular choice for patients with preexisting renal disease or those who are at risk for developing renal insufficiency. The lack of nephrotoxicity is related mainly to biliary excretion, which is the primary route of doxycycline elimination. Doxycycline is the preferred parenteral tetracycline Doxycycline is a potential first-hne agent in the prophylaxis of anthrax after exposure. Doxycycline is the treatment of choice for the primary stage of Lyme disease in adults and children older than 8 years. 

Anthrax can be of different types and the symptoms depend on the routes of exposure. The most common form of anthrax is the cutaneous or skin anthrax accounting for more than 90% of all cases. Anthrax spores enter into the skin of the host species, human or animal through small cuts or abrasion and become active producing poisonous toxins. Infection begins with symptoms of swelling and bleeding. The initial signs of this disease in humans may appear in 1 to 5 days after exposure. The sore may initially look... 

Limited data regarding the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal B. anthracis infection in any animal model system are available. Barnes (1947) observed that 1 h after inhalational exposure to anthrax spores, the majority of spores were formd in the stomach. Therefore, regardless of the route of exposure, there is a high risk of spores... 

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