Pulmonary anthrax (Q66266)

Pulmonary anthrax begins abruptly, usually 1-3 days (range, 1-60 d) after inhaling anthrax spores that are 1-5 µm in diameter. The number of spores needed to cause pulmonary anthrax varies. This form presents initially with nonspecific symptoms, including a low-grade fever and a nonproductive cough. Patients may report substernal discomfort early in the illness. Patients may improve temporarily before rapidly deteriorating clinically with haemorrhagic mediastinitis. After the initial improvement, inhalation anthrax progresses rapidly, causing high fever, severe shortness of breath, tachypnoea, cyanosis, profuse diaphoresis, hematemesis, and chest pain, which may be severe enough to mimic acute myocardial infarction.