Question

Why is there no human-to-human transmission of anthrax? Why is anthrax more common following droughts?

Answer 1

Ans.1

Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by bacterium Bacillus anthracis. These bacteria is more common in agricultural regions and animal shelters where it affects the animals more commonly. When humans comes in contact with these infected animals while its handling, they too gets infected with Anthrax. The most common route of anthrax is through contact of the bacteria with the skin. Apart from this it can also be caused by breathing the bacterial spores spread in the air.

The reason for non transmission of anthrax between humans is due to the fact that, the anthrax causing bacteria usually thrives in the form of spores. Spores are dormant form of the anthrax causing bacteria,which it takes when enough source of energy is not available for its survival. When the conditions become favourable they again grow into a bacteria and cause the disease. The mode of transmission of this disease is through Skin, inhalation of spores and by eating infected meats, inhalation anthrax being the rarest. In any case, direct contact cannot cause the disease to spread.

Ans.2

Anthrax spores can survive only in alkaline conditions, when nitrogen level in the soil is high, caused by decay of vegetablese in between the period of rain and drought. The rain brings the spores to the soil surface. When this is followed by droughts, cattle grazing upon the vegetables consumes soil and thus ingesting anthrax spores along with them, increasing the further risk of spreading. Thus cases of anthrax is more common following droughts.