Bacillus anthracis meningitis

Abstract

Bacillus anthracis is an uncommon cause of meniningitis. The characteristic hemorrhagic features in two patients who died despite antibiotic treatment are presented and discussed.

Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin induces TNF-α–independent hypoxia-mediated toxicity in mice

“…Vascular dysfunction and thrombosis have been described in association with anthrax infection in humans (9,60) and animals (60)(61)(62)(63)(64). This type of classic vasculitis induced by endothelial adherence of inflammatory cells and fibrinoid necrosis of vessels did not occur in LT-treated mice, despite similar accumulation of pleural fluid in human anthrax subjects, animal models (2,9,11,14,65,66), and LT-treated mice.…”

Neurologic Complications of Anthrax

“…11 Two other similar cases from Mexico that displayed autopsy-confirmed, anthrax-related hemorrhagic meningoencephalitis both developed through a presumed cutaneous route. 12 One case involved a 14year-old boy who worked in a slaughterhouse for 2 months; he had a 4-day course of fever and headache and died within 12 hours of hospital admission despite the intravenous infusion of 20 million units of aqueous penicillin. Initially, the CSF was cloudy yellow with no red blood cells; it turned bloody 5 hours later, with high white blood cell counts and low glucose levels when examined at both time points (Table).…”

Cerebral diffusional changes in the early phase of anthrax: Is cutaneous anthrax only limited to skin?

“…5,6 These macropathological features partially depend on bacillus-related microthromboses. 12 However, some researchers think that neurological results are mainly related to toxins. Anthrax toxin is made up of three components.…”