ANTHRAX i. Infective Agent.—Bacillus anthracis.
2. Sources of Injection.—Cases in cattle, sheep and horses.
3. Portal of Exit.—In extravasated blood.
4. Route of Transmission.—By the hair, hides and feces of infected animals or objects such as soil or dust, contaminated therewith. It must be borne in mind that this is a spore forming organism which can survive the action of sunlight and desiccation for prolonged and indefinite periods, such as months and years. Hence contaminated intermediate objects may serve as fomites.
5. Portal of Entrance.—By inoculation of the spores into the subcutaneous tissues by scratches, wounds or the inhalation of spores in dust.
6. Incubation Period.—Within seven days.
7. Period of Communicability.—During the febrile stage and until the lesions have ceased discharging. Infected hair and hides of infected animals may communicate the disease for many months after the slaughter or skinning of the animals, and even after the curing of the hide or hair, unless previously disinfected.
8. Methods of The Infected Individual.—(a) Di agnosis: Clinical manifestations confirmed by bacteriological examination.
(b) Isolation: Until the lesions have healed.
(c) Immunization: No highly effective method for the immunization of man has been developed. The anti-anthrax serum is well worth a trial. Normal beef serum is said to give good results.
(d) Quarantine: None.
(e) Concurrent Disinfection: Of the discharges from the lesions and of objects soiled therewith.
(f) Terminal Disinfection: Thorough cleaning.
General Measures.—(a) Animals ill with a disease presum ably anthrax should be placed immediately in the care of a veterinarian. Proved cases should be promptly killed and the carcass destroyed by cremation.
(b) Isolation: Only of suspected cases.
(c) Active Immunization: Of exposed animals under govern mental supervision. The double vaccine, consisting of two
separate inoculations with doses of graded virulence, is in most general use.
(d) Post mortem examinations should be made only by a veterinarian or bacteriologist.
(e) Milk from an infected animal should not be used.
(f) Control of and the disinfection of sewage effluents and trade wastes from factories and premises where spore infected hides or hair are known to have been worked up into manu factured articles.
(g) A physician should be employed by every company hand ling raw hides or hair, or else such companies should operate under the direct supervision of a medical representative of the health department.
(10 Every employee handling raw hides, hair or bristles who has an abrasion of the skin should immediately report to a physician.
(i) All employees in such establishments should be personally instructed in the necessity for personal cleanliness.
(j) Tanneries and woolen mills should be provided with proper ventilating apparatus so that dust can be promptly removed.
(k) All hair, wool, and bristles originating in known infected centers should be disinfected before they are cured or sorted (Fig. 93).
(/) The sale of hides from animals dying from anthrax should be prohibited.
(m) Hides of unknown origin should be disinfected. Means of disinfection that will not interfere with the desirable proper ties of leather are not available. The following is the least objectionable method: Immerse the hides in r per cent. hydrochloric acid and 8 per cent. sodium chloride for 6 hours at a temperature of 4o°C. Then neutralize with sodium carbonate and wash.
(ii) Workmen should be instructed to avoid touching blood clots on hides or hair.