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Ingestion anthrax
2025 Case Definition

Ingestion anthrax
2025 Case Definition
NOTE: A surveillance case definition is a set of uniform criteria used to define a disease for public health surveillance. Surveillance case definitions enable public health officials to classify and count cases consistently across reporting jurisdictions. Surveillance case definitions are not intended to be used by healthcare providers for making a clinical diagnosis or determining how to meet an individual patient’s health needs.

Subtype(s)

  • Anthrax
  • Cutaneous anthrax
  • Inhalation anthrax
  • Injection anthrax
  • Welder's anthrax

Clinical Description

Presents as one of two sub-types:

Oropharyngeal: When anthrax spores germinate in the oropharynx, a mucosal lesion may be observed in the oral cavity or oropharynx. Symptoms are non-specific and include sore throat, dysphagia, swelling of the neck, fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, and nausea/vomiting; the symptoms may resemble a viral respiratory illness. Cervical lymphadenopathy, ascites, and altered mental status may be observed.
Gastrointestinal: When anthrax spores germinate in the lower gastrointestinal tract, symptoms are mainly non-specific and include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea (either of which may contain blood), abdominal swelling, fever, fatigue, and headache are also common. Altered mental status and ascites may be observed.

Related Case Definition(s)

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Content Source:

National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS)

NNDSS receives and shares case data from state, local, and territorial health departments to help public health monitor, control, and prevent serious diseases.

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