Differences in Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment of Anthrax in Plants, Animals and Humans, and an Analysis of Cure

Anthrax is an acute zoonotic infectious disease. It mainly occurs in people who have frequent contact with animals and animal product processing, or who accidentally eat the meat of diseased animals. In fact, plants can also be at risk of infection by anthrax. So is plant anthrax the same as animal anthrax? What are the symptoms of the illness? How should it be prevented and treated? Can people with anthrax be cured?

1. Is plant anthrax the same as animal anthrax?

1. Plant anthrax is mainly caused by Colletotrichum, which is a fungus.

2. Animal anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis, and Bacillus anthracis is a bacterium. Animal anthrax can be transmitted to humans, while plant anthrax will not be transmitted to humans. However, eating vegetables and fruits affected by anthrax is also harmful to human health.

2. What symptoms do plant and animal anthrax each have? How should they be prevented and treated?

1. What symptoms does animal anthrax have?

Animal anthrax mainly infects herbivorous livestock such as cattle, sheep and horses. Anthrax can occur in all four seasons, but it is more common in hot and humid summers with more rain and more insects. Cattle, sheep and other livestock mostly suffer from acute anthrax. Generally speaking, as soon as the disease occurs, the livestock will suddenly fall to the ground, twitch and have difficulty breathing, and die within a few minutes.

2. Methods for preventing and treating animal anthrax

A 2% caustic soda solution or quicklime can be used to disinfect livestock pens. After the pens are dry, drive the livestock back into the pens. The livestock's drinking water must also be controlled to ensure the water source is clean and hygienic. Moreover, for livestock that die for unknown reasons, especially those bleeding from the seven orifices, skinning and taking meat may be carried out only after a professional has confirmed it is safe.

3. What symptoms does plant anthrax have?

Plant anthrax has a wider range of damage. The main plant parts it affects include leaves, flowers, branches and fruits. On leaves, chlorotic small spots first appear at the leaf tip and leaf margin, then expand into semicircular, circular or irregular spots. The affected tissue turns yellowish brown or brown, and small black spots appear later, sometimes arranged in concentric rings. If the environment is humid, spore masses form.

4. Methods for preventing and treating plant anthrax

Diseased parts should be cut off promptly in the early stage of the disease. Before the disease occurs, a 500-fold dilution of 75% chlorothalonil can be sprayed for prevention and treatment. For crop diseases, prevention is the main approach. While using medication, it is also necessary to ensure sufficient nutrients and water for the crops. However, the amount of water supplied must be well controlled, and waterlogging must absolutely be avoided, otherwise the disease will become even more serious!

3. What are the symptoms of human anthrax infection?

Human anthrax infection mainly has three clinical types:

1. Cutaneous anthrax

2. Pulmonary anthrax and intestinal anthrax

3. Sometimes it causes anthrax septicemia and meningitis.

4. Among these, cutaneous anthrax is the most common, accounting for more than 95% of all cases.

5. Cutaneous anthrax lesions are mostly seen on exposed skin such as the face, neck, shoulders, hands and feet; they mainly manifest as local skin edema, macules or papules, blisters, ulcers and eschars; the pain is not obvious, there is slight itching, and no abscess forms. With timely treatment, the case fatality rate is less than 1%.

6. Pulmonary anthrax initially presents with “flu-like” symptoms, manifesting as low fever, fatigue, general discomfort, muscle pain and cough, usually lasting about 48 hours. It then suddenly develops into an acute condition, with respiratory distress, shortness of breath and wheezing, cough, cyanosis, hemoptysis, etc. Coma and death can occur rapidly, and the mortality rate can reach more than 90%.

7. Intestinal anthrax can manifest as the acute enteritis type or the acute abdomen type. The acute enteritis type can present with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea at onset. Patients with the acute abdomen type have severe systemic toxemia symptoms, persistent vomiting and diarrhea, bloody watery stools, abdominal distension and abdominal pain, and often complicate with septicemia and infectious shock. If not treated promptly, it can often lead to death.

4. Can anthrax infection be cured?

There is no need to worry too much. Anthrax can be treated. As a bacterial infectious disease, antibiotic treatment is naturally the first choice, and penicillin is the preferred drug for treatment.

Cutaneous anthrax is not difficult to treat. In addition to antibiotics, only simple wound care measures are needed. Other types of anthrax are generally complex and more severe, and symptomatic treatment is needed according to the specific situation.

In the late stage of anthrax, especially when systemic bleeding symptoms appear, it is indeed very difficult to treat. Therefore, the key to treating anthrax patients lies in early discovery, early diagnosis and early treatment. Any delay may lead to serious consequences.

5. How can anthrax be prevented?

The most important point is not to come into contact with the source of infection. The main source of anthrax infection is animals that died of the disease. If cattle, sheep or other animals are found to have died suddenly, do not touch, slaughter, eat, buy or sell them. Immediately report to the local agriculture and animal husbandry department, and let that department handle it.

Once you find that you or people around you have symptoms of anthrax, you should immediately report to the local health center or disease prevention and control agency, and seek medical attention promptly. Pay attention to buying beef and mutton products through proper channels, and do not buy or eat meat from livestock that died of disease or meat of unknown origin.

“If cattle, sheep or other animals suddenly die of disease, diagnose it promptly, correctly handle the source of infection, and at the same time avoid direct or indirect contact with the fur, skin and excrement of these animals.” Lu Jiahai suggested.