Anthrax: The Fifth Plague

Anthrax has been around for thousands of years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anthrax is believed to have originated in Egypt and Mesopotamia in the late 1300s B.C.E. during the time of the 10 plagues. Many believe it was the fifth plague. Ancient Greece and Rome also discovered anthrax, as the famous author Homer referenced it in The Iliad around 700 B.C. (https://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/resources/history/index.html). For many years, anthrax was studied in detail. Robert Koch was the first person to note the life cycle of the disease, and in 1881, the first vaccine for animals was created (https://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/resources/history/index.html). Anthrax is mostly found in animals such as ovine, bovine, equine, etc. It is a zoonotic disease meaning, it can be transferred from animal to human. People began to contract anthrax from meat consumption, specifically meat from cattle. As the animal vaccine became more popular, it was noted that the vaccine helped to lower the number of reported human anthrax

The spore is found in soil throughout South, and Central America, South, and East Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa (http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/Bioter/layanthrax’_a.html). Bacillus anthracis can live in the soil for years on end, and becomes “activated when there are periods of heavy rain and flooding, extreme droughts, or even a mass soil disturbance (https://www.merckvetmanual.com/generalized-conditions/anthrax/overview-of-anthrax, epidemiology). Once an animal begins grazing in an area that is anthrax positive, it is likely that the animal will contract the disease via ingestion. Contamination may also occur via inhalation or through a skin wound. The most common incubation period for anthrax is 3-7 days, but can range anywhere from 1-14 days (https://www.merckvetmanual.com/generalized-conditions/anthrax/overview-of-anthrax, clinical