Woolsorters disease

Wolfram Hexafluoride Wolhynian Fever Woolsorters Disease Wuerzberg Green... 

During the course of the next 1,500 years, Europe witnessed sporadic outbreaks of anthrax as they occurred in 14th century Germany and 17th century central Europe and Russia. The disease was classified as anthrax or charbon malin (Morens, 2003) in 1769 by the French physician Nicholas Fournier (Fournier, 1769 Morens, 2003). The name is derived from the black eschar lesions, the hallmark of cutaneous infection. Fournier also noted a link between those who worked with raw animal hair or wool and an increased susceptibility to disease. In the 18th century, an epidemic destroyed half of the sheep in Europe, possible evidence that anthrax was a major problem. Inhalation anthrax became known in the Victorian era as woolsorters disease however, infection was more often the result of contact with goat hair or alpaca than wool. 

LaForce FM. Woolsorters disease in England. Bull N Y Acad Med. 1978 54 956-963. 

Anthrax A zoonosis caused by Bacillus anthracis that exists in cutaneous, respiratory ( woolsorters disease ), or intestinal forms transmitted by endospores. 

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