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Epidemiology - Infection

Human Infection

Natural human infection is usually acquired following contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products (1). There are no known cases of human-to-human transmission (7). There have also been a very few number of cases linked to consumption of undercooked contaminated meat. Inhalation anthrax is the method of infection associated with biological warfare. It is one of the most deadly biological weapons developed (1).

Animal Infection

Anthrax is most often found in herbivores, which are infected by ingesting spores from the soil (1). Anthrax spores are present in soil samples from throughout the world and can remain dormant for years (6). Anthrax spores are also resistant to heat, UV light, gamma radiation, and many disinfectants (7).  The reasons for the local proliferation of anthrax are not well understood.  Studies of agricultural outbreaks suggest that anthrax bacilli favor soil with a pH > 6.0 and rich in organic matter.  Major changes in the soil microenvironment, such as drought or rainfall, enhance the sporolation (16).