What is the mechanism that leads to symptoms from inhalation anthrax exposure?
According to the cited source, “inhalation anthrax results from spore update in the alveoli by pulmonary macrophages, followed by bacterial germination and toxin production in the mediastinal lymph nodes, leading to hemorrhagic lymphadenitis, mediastinitis, and sepsis. Symptoms typically begin in 1-5 days after exposure, although incubation periods up to several weeks in length have been reported.”
Shafazand S, Doyle R, Ruoss S, Weinacker A, Raffin TA. Inhalational anthrax: epidemiology, diagnosis, and management. Chest. 1999 Nov;116(5):1369-76. doi: 10.1378/chest.116.5.1369. PMID: 10559102.
Contributed by Zach Panzer, MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio