There are many substances on earth that are very toxic to humans – some occur naturally, some are man made, and others can even be used for good. For example, someone like this Gloucester fillers practitioner https://doctorkate.co.uk/doctor-kate/ can give you a Botox injection to smooth out wrinkles and give you a younger appearance – but did you know that Botox comes from botulinum which is also a deadly toxin!
One of the deadliest toxins in the world comes from nature and can be found in many different places. Anthrax is a kind of bacteria; however, it is not contagious – it is associated with hoofed animals and is found in soil. The way that it infects people is that small spores of it enter the body – the most way is through close contact with animals that have picked it up or eating an animal that has the bacteria.
Some parts of the world are more commonly affected than other parts of Africa, South America, East Europe and parts of Asia are places where it is more likely to be found, particularly in developing countries.
How the anthrax enters the body will depend on the types of symptoms of anthrax poisoning to look out for. If a person has handled something that is contaminated, then it will usually enter through cuts in the skin, and this is the most commonly seen type, which is good because it is also the least risky. The symptoms of it include blisters and itchy bumps on the area, swelling or sores with black centres. Although it is the least dangerous, antibiotics are needed to treat this.
Another way that someone can fall ill from anthrax is from inhaling it. This is the most dangerous form of anthrax illness and happens when the small spores of an infected animal are inhaled. It can be anything from a week to a couple of months for symptoms to start, but they can cause breathing problems and shock in the body. Not many people actually survive this form of anthrax illness, and certainly without treatment it is almost always fatal. A chest X Ray will often be used to confirm this kind of infection.
Eating the spores in undercooked infected meat is another way to contract an illness from anthrax. This is also quite dangerous, as even with treatment just over half of people infected survive. Signs of this form include sweating, vomiting (which can be bloody) fever sore throat and pain in the neck and glands and loss of voice.
The most recent kind of anthrax infection that has been identified is via injection. This is seen in drug users who inject drugs like heroin. Because it enters through the skin the signs of this type of infection can be similar to the types of infection seen via the skin, however often when it is injected, it can spread much more quickly around the body.
