| Bacillus anthracisis the bacterium that causes anthrax disease. |
| The anthrax bacillus—B. anthracis—>was the first bacterium shown to be the cause of a disease. In 1877, Robert Koch grew the organism in culture and demonstrated its ability to form endospores and to cause illness by injecting it into animals.This was proof that sickness can be caused by microorganisms. |
| B. anthracisis a very large,Gram-positive, spore-forming rod, 1-1.2 µm in width x 3-5 µm in length. The bacterium can be cultivated in ordinary nutrient medium under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. |
The Gram stain is the most widely used staining procedure in bacteriology. It is called a differential stain since it differentiates between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteria that stain purple with the Gram-staining procedure are termed Gram-positive; those that stain pink are said to be Gram-negative. The terms positive and negative have nothing to do with electrical charge, but simply designate two distinct morphological groups of bacteria. |
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| http://www.visualsunlimited.com/browse/vu284/vu284391.html |
| Anthrax infection can occur in three forms: cutaneous (skin), inhalation or pulmonary (affecting the lungs), and gastrointestinal. Inhalation anthrax is the most dangerous form and is usually fatal if left untreated. All three forms are caused by the same bacterium, the type of infection depending on the means of transmission. However, left untreated, all forms of anthrax can be fatal. |
|  Anthrax and the Three Amigos
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| Site of Infection |
Pathology |
Cutaneous
(skin) |
The bacteria use an open wound on the body to gain a foothold in the nourishing tissue, and it is here that the spores begin to infect the skin. This is treatable if it is recognized early. |
| Gastrointestinal |
When the animal or human has ingested the bacteria or the spores from contaminated soil, they enter the body and damage the gastrointestinal tract, causing bleeding and death. |
| Respiratory (inhalation; wool-sorter's disease) |
When anthrax spores are inhaled, they travel to the mediastinal lymph glands where they inevitably cause bleeding in the lungs, eventually leading to death. |
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http://www.brown.edu/Courses/Bio_160/Projects2000/Anthrax/pathology.html |
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| Animation of the anthrax and disease types : |
| 8 anthrax |
| 8 Anthrax - presentation |
| 8 Global terror - anthrax explained |
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| More about clinical symptoms |
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