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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

To contract anthrax, you must come in direct contact with anthrax spores. This is more likely if you:

  • Are in the military and deployed to an area with a high risk of exposure to anthrax
  • Work with anthrax in a laboratory setting
  • Handle animal skins, furs or wool from areas with a high incidence of anthrax
  • Work in veterinary medicine, especially if you deal with livestock
  • Handle or dress game animals — in the United States, seasonal outbreaks of anthrax are common among livestock and game animals, such as deer
Complications Causes
References
  1. Anthrax. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/anthrax/. Accessed April 30, 2011.
  2. Anthrax. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec14/ch172/ch172b.html. Accessed April 30, 2011.
  3. Wilson K. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of anthrax. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2011.
  4. Wilson K. Microbiology, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of anthrax. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2011.
  5. Anthrax vaccine: What you need to know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-anthrax.pdf. Accessed April 30, 2011.
  6. Wilson K. Treatment of anthrax. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2011.
  7. Ferri FF. Anthrax. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..C2009-0-38600-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&about=true&uniqId=230100505-53. Accessed April 30, 2011.
  8. Wilson K. Prevention of anthrax. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2011.
DS00422 June 9, 2011

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

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