Primary Throat Anthrax: A report of six cases

Abstract

73 cases of anthrax were recorded by the Health Office in the Sivas region in the last 4 years. This paper presents a rare and severe clinical form of anthrax displaying diagnostic difficulties. Six women aged between 16–46 were diagnosed as having throat anthrax and treated in the Infectious Diseases Department of Cumhuriyet University. The lesions were localized on the tonsils in 5 cases and on the base of the tongue in 1 case. The main clinical features were sore throat, dysphagia, fever, regional lymphadenopathy on the neck and toxemia. Three patients died with toxemia and sepsis. The diagnosis was confirmed by the isolation of Bacillus anthracis.