Acute Infectious Disease Caused by Bacillus Anthracis

Anthrax

Acute infectious disease caused by bacillus anthracis.

Infections in humans:

 Skin contact – cutaneous, ingestion-gastrointestinal, inhalation-pumonary

 Person-to-person transmission of inhalation disease does not occur. *

*direct exposure to vesicle secretions of cutaneous anthrax can result in a secondary infection.

Pulmonary signs and symptoms:

 Flu-like symptoms that may briefly improve two to four days after initial symptoms  Abrupt onset of respiratory failure  Hemodynamic collapse  Thoracic edema  Widened mediastinum on xray  Positive blood culture in 2-3 days of illness

7200 Biomedical Technology F.1 Summer 2004 Prognosis:

Good if treated early. Increased mortality rate if treated after respiratory onset.

Cutaneous signs and symptoms:

 Local skin involvement with direct contact  Commonly seen on head, forearms, or hands  Localized itching followed by popular lesion that turns vescular within 2-6 days – develops into depressed black eschar

Prognosis:

Good if treated with antibiotics.

Gastrointestinal signs and symptoms:

 Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever  Bloody diarrhea, hematemesis  Positive culture after 2-3 days

Prognosis:

If progression to toxemia and sepsis, prognosis is poor.

7200 Biomedical Technology F.2 Summer 2004 Modes of transmission:

 Inhalation of spores  Skin contact  Ingestion of contaminated food

Incubation period:

 Pulmonary: 2-60 days  Cutaneous: 1-7 days  Gastrointestinal: 1-7 days

Transmission:

Anthrax is not airborne person to person. Direct contact with infectious skin lesions can transmit infection.

Prevention:

Vaccine available-limited quantities.

7200 Biomedical Technology F.3 Summer 2004 Botulism

Potent neurotoxin caused by an anaerobic bacillus- colstridium botulinum.

Transmission:

 Contaminated food  Inhalation Signs and symptoms:

 Gastrointestinal symptoms  Drooping eyelids  Weakened jaw clench  Difficulty swallowing or speaking  Blurred vision  Respiratory distress Incubation period:

 Neurological SxS for food borne botulism – 12-36 hours after ingestion  Neurological SxS for inhalation botulism – 24-72 hours after exposure Prevention: Vaccine available

Botulism cannot be transmitted person to person.

Plague

7200 Biomedical Technology F.4 Summer 2004 Plague is an acute bacterial disease caused by yersinia pestis. Signs and Symptoms:

 Fever  Cough  Chest pain  Hemoptysis  Watery sputum  Bronchopneumonia on xray Mode of Transmission:

 Plague normally transmitted from an infected flea  Can be aerosol-probable use in bioterrorism  Can be transmitted person to person Incubation period:

 Flea bite – 2-8 days  Aerosol – 1-3 days Prognosis: Good if treated with antibiotics early.

7200 Biomedical Technology F.5 Summer 2004 Ricin is a potent protein toxin derived from Castor beans. Castor beans are found easily all over the world and the toxin is fairly easily produced. For this reason ricin could be used as a biological weapon with relative ease. Infections in Humans

 Aerosol  Ingestion Signs and Symptoms:

18-24 hours 36-72 hours

 Weakness  Severe  Fever respiratory  Cough distress  Pulmonary  Death from edema hypoxemia

7200 Biomedical Technology F.6 Summer 2004 Incubation period:

 8-18 hours Prognosis:

 Poor-no vaccine available Ricin does not spread easily person to person.