Le diagnostic biologique au laboratoire de la maladie du charbon

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease affecting primarily herbivores and occasionally humans in contact with animal products or infected animals, or after occupational exposure. Human anthrax includes cutaneous, gastrointestinal, septicaemic, meningeal or inhalational forms. Bacillus anthracis, is responsible for anthrax disease. It is a Gram positive, non-motile, capsulated, non-haemolytic rod-shaped bacterium forming spores. Cutaneous anthrax is easily treated with antibiotics. In contrary, digestive, meningeal or inhalational forms are potentially fatal if not treated. Within the infected host the spores germinate to produce vegetative forms which multiply and produce toxins, eventually killing the host. Then the bacilli sporulate and spores are released in the environment where they survive for years. The disease remains present in the enzootic areas and emerges periodically depending on climate or ecological conditions and human activities. The high spore resistance in the environment and the virulence of the anthrax bacilli are criteria for high potential biological warfare and bioterrorism agents. It is important to know how to diagnose this disease by bacteriological, molecular biological and immunological methods.