Anthrax is a bacterial toxin-mediated zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. It has been recognized for millennia and is considered a potential biowarfare agent. In a new Clinical Infectious Diseases study, Dr. Nathaniel Hupert and colleagues conduct a systematic review of English language anthrax case reports from the past 135+ years. Examining clinical and demographic characteristics of 764 adults and 167 children hospitalized with anthrax, researchers provide insight into exposures, symptoms, laboratory results, complications, and outcomes for all routes of anthrax infection and treatment impact by type and severity. This comprehensive report will be helpful for clinicians and planners alike – providing data for individual treatment and projections for public health planning in the case of wide-area release.
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