Anthrax - inhalation

There are usually two stages of inhalation anthrax:

• Stage one can last from hours to a few days. Symptoms may resemble a cold or the flu, and can include fever, chills, sweating, fatigue, malaise, headache, cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
• Stage two often develops suddenly. Symptoms include fever, severe shortness of breath, and shock.

This list of symptoms is based on a relatively small number of people who have had inhalation anthrax. Additional symptoms may occur.

Tests may include:

• Blood cultures
• Chest x-ray or CT scan of the chest
• Sputum cultures

Initial chest x-rays are likely to show abnormalities such as fluid surrounding the lungs or an abnormally wide space between the lungs.

Fluid or blood samples may be sent to a special laboratory for more testing, including PCR, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry.

A spinal tap to analyze the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for infection also may be performed.

Images

Inhalation anthrax

Bacteria

Respiratory system

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Review Date: 05/30/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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