Cutaneous anthrax

Anthrax is usually contracted through contact with animals that harbor the anthrax bacterium. The cutaneous form is transmitted through a break in the skin and may spread through the bloodstream, causing shock and collapse. Early and aggressive treatment with antibiotics is effective.

Review Date: 06/01/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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