Gastrointestinal Anthrax: A Case and Review of Literature

Ayhan Akbulut, Handan Akbulut, Müge Özgüler, Nuran İnci, Şinasi Yalçın

Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elaz?g, Turkey.
Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elaz?g, Turkey.
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elaz?g, Turkey.
Sehit Kamil State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey.

DOI: 10.4236/aid.2012.23010                

Abstract

Anthrax which is caused by Bacillus anthracis is typically a disease of herbivores. Spores existing in the skin, meat, hair or mouth and nose of animals are transmitted to humans through contact with a break in the skin, consumption of infected meat or inhalation of spores [1]. Infected uncooked or insufficiently cooked meats cause oropharyngeal and gastrointestinal system (GIS) anthrax. When this infected materials swallowed anthrax spores may cause lesions from the oral cavity to the caecum. The diagnosis of gastrointestinal system (GIS) anthrax is difficult due to insidious clinical progression of the disease and difficulty in the isolation of agent pathogen. Releated symptoms of GIS anthrax are sore throat, neck swelling, diffuculty swallowing, stomach pain, anoreksia, bloody diarrhea, nause, bloody vomiting and fever. Supportive and antibiotic treatments are required. Benzylpenicillin, rifampicin, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, imipenem/cilastatin, or vancomycin can be use for treatment, ciprofloxacin or doxycycline may be added to this treat- ment for serious cases. To emphasize the necessity of taking precautions, an oropharyngeal and intestinal anthrax case due to consumption of infected and insufficiently cooked meat is presented below.

Keywords

Bacillus anthracis; Oropharyngeal Disease; Gastrointestinal System; Anthrax; Consumption of InfectedMeat

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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