Cutaneous manifestations of anthrax in rural Haiti

Abstract

In industrialized countries, the zoonotic disease anthrax has been virtually eradicated because of effective public health measures including animal vaccination and quality control of animal products. In developing parts of the world, however, anthrax remains an occupational hazard of herdsmen and workers who have direct contact with infected animals or who process animal hides, hair, bone and bone products, and wool. For clinicians unfamiliar with this interesting infectious disease, the major dermatologic characteristics and clinical evolution of live cases of cutaneous anthrax are reviewed in this study in both descriptive and photographic forms, to define the clinical spectrum of cutaneous disease.