A Rare Cause of Blindness: Cutaneous Anthrax

Anthrax is an infectious zoonotic disease. It is transmitted to humans via infected animals and infected animal products. It was estimated that worldwide between 20,000 and 100,000 cases occurred annually. Anthrax can be seen in Africa, Central America, Albania, Central Asia, the Middle East, Spain, Greece, Romania, and Turkey. Anthrax is rare in the United States and Canada. The prevalence is decreasing a west the world, although it is still endemic in Turkey. Anthrax is still an important health problem in Turkey. Since 1960 till 1969, the number of human anthrax reported is 10724. From 1980 to 1989, 4423 cases of anthrax have been encountered. According to the report of the Ministry of Health, 262 cases were reported in 2007, 126 in 2008 and 132 in 2009 in Turkey. The etiological agent of the disease is Bacillus anthracis. This is a gram-positive bacillus, non-motile, encapsulate, that may be found in either aerobe or facultative anaerobe form. The incubation period was between 1 and 17 days usually 2-7 days. It is significant biological warfare agent. Anthrax has three different clinical forms: cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and pulmonary. At present, cutaneous anthrax cases account for 95 percent of human cases of anthrax. Inhalation anthrax is the most serious form. It has a high case fatality rate. Natural cases of inhalational anthrax are Acta Medica Mediterranea, 2015, 31: 1299