ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case that occurred during an outbreak of anthrax in the UK, which caused a series of serious soft tissue infections among injecting drug users. It provides a discussion on clinical management, prevention, epidemiology, biology, and pathology of this case. Anthrax is a rod-shaped, Gram-positive, aerobic bacterium that readily grows on standard microbiological media. Anthrax is primarily an infection of herbivorous mammals that eat contaminated pasture and, less commonly, may affect carnivores that feed on these animals. Skin and soft tissue infections are common in injecting drug users, about 35% of whom are estimated annually of developing a significant infection. DNA of Bacillus anthracis was detected by polymerase chain reaction of debrided tissue, and this organism was also subsequently cultured on agar. Segregation of waste into separate management streams at the point of production is vital to good waste management.
