Inhalation anthrax usually results in death in 1-2 days after onset of the acute symptoms. Initial signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and fever are followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea. Although anthrax can be found globally, it is more often a risk in countries with less standardized and effective public health programs. Areas currently listed as high risk are South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Anthrax is diagnosed by isolating B. anthracis from the blood, skin lesions, or respiratory secretions or by measuring specific antibodies in the blood of suspected cases.
Doctors can prescribe effective antibiotics.
Usually, penicillin is preferred, but erythromycin, tetracycline, or chloramphenicol can also be used. To be effective, treatment should be initiated early. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal. The anthrax vaccine for humans licensed for use in the United States is a cell-free filtrate vaccine, which means it uses dead bacteria as opposed to live bacteria. The anthrax vaccine was developed and is manufactured and distributed by the Michigan Biologic Products Institute, Lansing, Michigan.