Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. It occurs naturally in wild and unvaccinated domestic animals in many countries, including the United States. Workers can be infected by infected animals or animal products — or if the bacteria are used as a biological weapon.
Workers in protective suits. Image from CDC's page on anthrax in the workplace
How workers are exposed
- touching contaminated carcasses, wool, hides or fur
- breathing in spores while processing or handling contaminated animal products
- eating undercooked meat from infected animals, or food or water contaminated with spores
- contact with the bacteria in a terrorist attack, or while responding to one
Who is at risk
| Source | Workers |
|---|---|
| Natural — infected animals, contaminated animal products or environments | farmers, veterinarians, livestock handlers, diagnostic laboratory workers, people who work with animal products |
| Biological weapon — spores in the air, depending on how they are spread | emergency responders (law enforcement, public health, health care), mail handlers if spores are mailed, decontamination workers, critical infrastructure workers |
Past U.S. cases
- Imported animal hides: cases have struck drum makers using imported hides, and people who handled the drums or were around where they were made — including skin anthrax from West African goat hides, gastrointestinal anthrax after a hide-drumming event, and inhalation anthrax linked to dried hides.
- 2001: spores were deliberately sent through the U.S. mail, causing 22 anthrax cases, through the skin and by inhalation; five were fatal. NIOSH studied mail processing centers and offices exposed to the letters, and followed up deaths among potentially exposed Postal Service workers.
Guidance
- Preventing exposure: anthrax at certain jobs · protecting responders in the first week after a wide-area aerosol attack · respirators and protective clothing against biological agents · responding when workplace detectors find airborne anthrax
- Sampling: surface sampling of smooth, non-porous surfaces · shipping vacuum-sock samples · instructor training
- NIOSH health hazard evaluations: air sampling at a Postal Service processing center; Independent Leather, New York; the North Dakota Department of Health
- Protecting workers from anthrax infection
Sources
Based on "Anthrax in the Workplace," National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
LanguagesEnglish
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.cdc.gov
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