Gastrointestinal anthrax: clinical experience in 5 cases

Bacillus anthracis may usually cause three forms of anthrax: inhalation, gastrointestinal and cutaneous. The gastrointestinal (GI) anthrax develops after eating contaminated meat. Thus, in this paper were report 5 cases of intestinal anthrax.

We report a case series of intestinal anthrax, with history of consumption of raw or poorly cooked liver of sheep. One patient was female and 4 were males with the age range between 17 and 26 years. All patients were admitted with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Examination revealed abdominal distention on the right lower quadrant or diffuse tenderness. Laboratory examination in all patients showed leukocytosis with polymorphonuclear of >80%. Because of the unclear and questionable diagnosis, exploratory laparotomy was performed on several patients, invariably showing an abundant yellowish and thick ascitic fluid, soft hypertrophied mesenteric lymph nodes (3-5 cm) mostly in the ileocecal region, and substantial edema involving one segment of small bowel, cecum or ascending colon. Anthrax was diagnosed on the epidemiologic basis (ingestion history of half cooked liver of sheep) or microbiologic (microscopy with bacterial culture) and pathologic testing (post surgery in four patients or autopsy in one patient). With appropriate treatment, 4 survived and one patient died.

Gastrointestinal anthrax is characterized by rapid onset, fever, ascitis and septicemia. The symptoms can mimic those seen in an acute surgical abdomen. Rapid diagnosis and prompt initiation of antibiotic therapy and then exploratory laparotomy (right hemicolectomy) are keys to survival.