An abattoir worker presented with a malignant pustule on his hand that progressed to form an ulcer. Smear was taken from the ulcer and sent to laboratory for investigation. The diagnosis

Ans. a. Cutaneous anthrax Anthrax Anthrax is a zoonoses, caused by Bacillus anthracisdeg, that occurs primarily in herbivores Routes of Infection: Humans become infected when B. anthracis spores are introduced into the body by the following routes: Contact with infected animals or contaminated animal productsdeg Insect bitesdeg Ingestiondeg Inhalationdeg Three major clinical forms in Humans: Cutaneousdeg (MC) Gastrointestinal (rare) Inhalational or pulmonary (it causes hemorrhagic pneumonia) Woolsoers' disease Occupational hazard for people who soed wooldeg Most dangerous form of inhalational anthrax Hide poer's disease Caused by contact with contaminated hair, wool, hides or products Malignant pustule Commonly seen in head and neckdeg Eschar stage that appears 2-6 days after the hemorrhagic vesicle dries to become a depressed black scabdeg surrounded by redness Diagnosis: Presumptive diagnosis of the anthrax is made by staining it with polychrome methylene blue stain, called as Mc-Fadyean's reaction Anthrax Mc-Fadyean's Reaction When blood films containing anthrax bacilli are stained with polychrome methylene blue stain for few seconds and examined under microscope, an amorphous purplish materialdeg is noticed around bacilli. This represents the capsular material and is characteristic of anthrax bacilliQ Culture Characteristics of Bacillus anthracis On agar plate: Frosted glass appearancedeg On gelatin stab culture: Inveed fir tree appearancedeg