What it means
An infection people usually get from contact with infected animals or animal products, or from spores that have been released on purpose; it is a known bioterrorism agent. It can affect the skin (the most common form, with a sore that becomes a black scab), the lungs (inhalation anthrax, the most deadly), the gut, or the tissue around a drug injection. It is treated with antibiotics, and a vaccine exists for people at high risk.
For the nurse
It does not usually spread from person to person, so standard precautions are used. Report a suspected case to infection control and public health right away.
Related terms
standard precautions
The basic infection-control practices used with every client, whether or not an infection is known.