Cutaneous anthrax is transmitted through a break in the skin. Following the incubation period of 3-5 days, a small, red, flat rash appears that resembles a flea bite. The rash then gets larger and becomes swollen creating a raised rash (papule). The rash progresses into a blister (vesicle) that is filled first with a thin bloody fluid and later a bloody pus, which imparts a dark purple or black color to the blister. After lesions form and the dead tissue and crusts fall off, infection may spread through the bloodstream and cause shock, cyanosis (blueness), sweating, and collapse.

Inhalation anthrax is often fatal. It is the most deadly form of the disease. It is contracted by inhaling anthrax spores, which are durable, hard-shelled "seeds" containing the bacterium. The spores are engulfed by white blood cells known as macrophages. Once inside the macrophages, anthrax spores germinate into dozens of bacteria that then release poisonous toxins, which burst the walls of the macrophage and escape into the bloodstream only to attack other macrophages and multiply its numbers.

In the process the macrophages are destroyed and their inflammatory chemicals are released into the body. A little inflammation helps the immune system respond to local infections, but the amount of inflammatory chemicals released in this exponential chain reaction causes blood vessels to leak, blood pressure to drop, septic fever, extensive cellular destruction and shock within hours. The initial symptoms, following a 3-5 day incubation period, resemble those of the common flu, including high fever, headache, malaise and fatigue. The inflammation of the lungs soon causes severe breathing difficulty, respiratory distress, cyanosis (blueness of the lips), shock and coma. Inhalation anthrax is usually (90%) fatal despite antibiotic therapy and intensive care.

Intestinal anthrax may follow the consumption of contaminated food and is characterized by an acute inflammation of the intestinal tract. Initial signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and fever are followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea.

• Skin (cutaneous anthrax) develops vesicles (tiny blisters), ulcers, reddish brown sores that break open and discharge bloody fluid, then form black scabs
• swollen, painful lymph nodes
• fever
• chills
• general discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
• headache
• muscle pains
• nausea and vomiting
• shortness of breath
• cough
• congestion of the nose and throat
• difficulty breathing / respiratory distress
• blueness (cyanosis) of the lips
• pneumonia
• chest pain
  

Signs and tests back to top

• blood cultures positive for anthrax
• chest X-ray
• serologic test for anthrax
• spinal tap for CSF culture and analysis

Prognosis
Pulmonary and meningeal anthrax is usually (90%) fatal despite antibiotic therapy and intensive care.

Prevention back to top
The key to prevention is a healthy immune system. Since it is known that 10% of the population recovers from Pulmonary Anthrax even if untreated, a healthy immune response is your best defense. To make certain that you keep your immune system at its peak, Dr. Hansen of the Arizona Institute of Natural Medicine recommends the following:

1. Take the oral homeopathic vaccine: Influenzinum 9C annually (This homeopathic medicine is a broad spectrum remedy that     boosts immune responsiveness against flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle pains, malaise, etc, which     can be confused with the initial symptom Anthrax)
2. Take a high potency multi-vitamin (Dr. Hansen recommends Peak Advantage)
3. Avoid processed sugar (100 grams of Sugar suppresses the immune system by 50% for 5 hours)
4. Get a minimum of 7 ½ hours of sleep per night.
5. If you develop flu symptoms take Flu Solution (this is a very effective homeopathic medicine for the initial phase of fever,     headache, muscle aches, general malaise, etc.)
6. Since Anthrax has already being deployed in the U.S. through the mail, Dr. Hansen recommends taking
 Homeopathic Biological Defense A: 1 tablet once per week for 4 weeks as a precaution to enhance your immune resistance.
7. For an exposure to Anthrax without confirmed infection: Take Homeopathic Biological Defense A: 1 tablet once daily for 21     days.

Vaccines back to top
An anthrax vaccine can prevent infection, however, vaccination against anthrax is not recommended for the general public to prevent disease and is not available. The anthrax vaccine must be given in a series of 6 staged vaccinations over 18 months and is associated with potential for significant side effects. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says it currently has no inventory of FDA approved vaccine for anthrax, but it does have enough antibiotics against anthrax to protect two million people for two months.

Since Anthrax has already been deployed in the U.S., Dr. Hansen recommends taking Homeopathic Biological Defense A: 1 tablet once per week for 4 weeks beginning immediately, as a precaution to boost immune resistance.

Treatment
Antibiotics can treat the anthrax infection only if given quickly. Anthrax is susceptible in the early phase to the antibiotics Cipro, Penicillin, Doxycycline, and fluoroquinolones. Cipro and Doxycycline are the only drugs approved for biological attacks - specifically for inhaled anthrax - although they had never been directly tested in humans until after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 While antibiotics may kill the anthrax bacterium, they cannot inactivate the lethal toxin it produces. By the time symptoms of anthrax contracted by inhalation have appeared, it is generally too late to rescue an individual with antibiotics, because he or she will succumb to the toxin the bacteria has already produced. Pulmonary anthrax is usually (90%) fatal despite antibiotic therapy and intensive care.

In addition to the measures listed above, Dr. Hansen recommends taking Homeopathic Biological Defense A: 1 tablet 4 times daily, every 4 hours, for the symptomatic relief of fever, chills, headache, fatigue, swollen glands, black & blue blisters, cough and difficulty breathing due to an infection.

Homeopathic Biological Defense A back to top
Homeopathic medicines are natural, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that work via amplification of the body's own healing response. Homeopathic medicines have been used to treat symptoms similar to those of Anthrax for more than 100 years. Anthracinum 30C is the key homeopathic ingredient. It is made from the toxin of the anthrax bacillus. It is homeopathically diluted to 1X100-30.This minute amount of the anthrax toxin stimulates the body to react to and counter the symptoms that the toxin would cause in a significant exposure.

Indications by Ingredient
The following is a list of indications for each Homeopathic medicine included in the formula for Homeopathic Biological Defense A as described in the approved Homeopathic Materia Medica recognized by the FDA and the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States.