Anthrax - the disease

Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium bacillus anthracis. It primarily affects animals like sheep and cattle but it can also infect humans.

Human infection occurs through direct contact with infected animals, or their products like hides, hair or wool, or by eating infected meat. Anthrax is a very rare disease in the UK. More detailed information about anthrax can be obtained from the Public Health Laboratory Service.

Used as a biological weapon, anthrax bacteria would be released into the air in invisible clouds that when inhaled by personnel would infect them with anthrax.

The first symptoms of this type of 'inhalational' anthrax would generally appear within a week (typically 2-3 days) and include flu-like symptoms, general lethargy and mild fever. Without treatment, these would quickly progress to serious breathing difficulties, collapse, shock and, in almost all cases, death.

Provided it is caught in its early stages, it is possible to treat inhalational anthrax with antibiotics, but this relies on early diagnosis of the disease based only on the initial, mild, non-specific symptoms.

Once the severe symptoms become apparent, there is no effective treatment for this type of anthrax. This is why the additional protection that is offered by anthrax immunisation is important.