Patient usually presents with the following clinical features
Fever acute onset
Edema due to lymphaatic obstruction
Malignant eschar (vesicle ruptures , forms a ulcer and is covered by a scab which is black coloured and is surrounded by erythema ), the eschar is painless and the fluid inside is usually serosanguinous.(blood tinged)
Bleeding manifestaions
Meningitis usually haemorrhagic
Types of manifestation : cutaneous anthrax: which is usually non fatal resolves
intestinal anthrax: due ingestion of the carcasses of the infected animal
pulmonary antharax : due to inalation of the spores
Blood culture is very sensitive- colony morphology- Blood agar- non haemolytic greyish dry colonies with serrated edges.
Nutrient agar - Medusa head appearance can be visualized in the edges of the colony with the help of the inverted microscope.
gram stain of the culture -thick gram positive bacilli with bamboo stick appearance
Demonstration of the capsule - polychrome methylene blue staining is done. (thick blue coloured bacilli surrounded by a pale pink coloured amorphous material)
Smear from the in-duration beneath eschar or the fluid from eschar
Smear shows thick gram positive bacilli with bamboo stick appearance
Direct fluroscent antibody testing detection of capsule
ELISA for toxin detection
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