Symptoms include a muscosal lesion in the oral cavity or oropharynx, cervical adenopathy and edema, and fever. This form is very rare, and death rates are unknown. The incubation period of anthrax is usually within seven days. Knowing that a person has had contact with animals helps a doctor make the diagnosis. Anthrax is diagnosed by isolating Bacillus anthracis from the blood, skin lesions, or respiratory secretions, or by measuring specific antibodies in the blood of suspected cases.
Antibiotics are usually effective if the disease is recognized early and treatment is prolonged.
Penicillin and tetracycline are usually the drugs of choice, although amoxycillin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin and gentamycin are other drugs that some doctors are starting to use because some anthrax strains have become resistant. However, treatment for inhaled anthrax is unlikely to occur. For treatment to be effective it must start before symptoms begin appearing. In countries where anthrax is common and vaccination levels of animal herds is low, humans should avoid contact with livestock and animal products, and avoid eating meat that has not been properly slaughtered and cooked. Always be sure to carefully handle dead animals suspected of having anthrax.