Since then, many …show more content…
He discovered that the bacteria formed spores which were able to survive for long periods of time in different environments. In one of his experiments, he isolated and grew Bacillus anthracis in pure culture and injected animals with the bacteria. He then observed that the microbe injected into the animals caused anthrax. Koch was also able to determine the life cycle of Bacillus anthracis. It consists of vegetative and endospore morphologies which alternate based on nutrient availability. There is evidence which shows that the bacteria’s ability to cause anthrax depends on its ability to complete its life cycle in a regulated manner. Koch’s study showed that there is a causal relationship between a specific micro-organism and a disease, which was later known as Koch’s postulates.
There are four different types of anthrax, and each have different signs and symptoms. In most cases, symptoms appear within one week of exposure to the bacteria. However inhalation anthrax is an exception; it may take several weeks for symptoms to appear after exposure. Inhalation …show more content…
Antibiotics and antitoxin are the most common treatments. If a patient has a serious case of anthrax, they will need to be hospitalized and may require aggressive treatment such as continuous fluid drainage and help breathing through mechanical ventilation. Antibiotics will treat all types of anthrax. On the other hand, antitoxin is mainly used when anthrax spores have activated inside of the body and are able to multiply, spread out, and produce toxins. Hence, antitoxin targets anthrax toxins in the body. When antitoxin is used for treatment, it is necessary for doctors to use additional treatment options as