History Anthrax

1 history

1.1 etymology
1.2 discovery
1.3 first vaccination

history

etymology

the english name comes anthrax (ἄνθραξ), greek word coal, possibly having egyptian etymology, because of characteristic black skin lesions developed victims cutaneous anthrax infection. central, black eschar, surrounded vivid red skin has long been recognised typical of disease. first recorded use of word anthrax in english in 1398 translation of bartholomaeus anglicus work de proprietatibus rerum (on properties of things, 1240).

anthrax has been known wide variety of names, indicating symptoms, location , groups considered vulnerable infection. these include siberian plague, cumberland disease, charbon, splenic fever, malignant edema, woolsorter s disease, , la maladie de bradford.

discovery

robert koch, german physician , scientist, first identified bacterium caused anthrax disease in 1875 in wolsztyn (now part of poland). pioneering work in late 19th century 1 of first demonstrations diseases caused microbes. in groundbreaking series of experiments, uncovered lifecycle , means of transmission of anthrax. experiments not helped create understanding of anthrax, helped elucidate role of microbes in causing illness @ time when debates still took place on spontaneous generation versus cell theory. koch went on study mechanisms of other diseases , won 1905 nobel prize in physiology or medicine discovery of bacterium causing tuberculosis.

although koch arguably made greatest theoretical contribution our understanding of anthrax, other researchers more concerned practical questions of how prevent disease. in britain, anthrax affected workers in wool, worsted, hides , tanning industries, viewed fear. john henry bell, doctor based in bradford, first made link between mysterious , deadly woolsorter s disease , anthrax, showing in 1878 1 , same. in twentieth century, friederich wilhelm eurich, german bacteriologist settled in bradford family child, carried out important research local anthrax investigation board. eurich made valuable contributions home office departmental committee of inquiry, established in 1913 address continuing problem of industrial anthrax. work in capacity, of collaboration factory inspector g. elmhirst duckering, led directly anthrax prevention act (1919).

first vaccination


louis pasteur inoculating sheep against anthrax

anthrax posed major economic challenge in france , elsewhere during nineteenth century. horses, cattle , sheep particularly vulnerable, , national funds set aside investigate production of vaccine. noted french scientist louis pasteur charged production of vaccine, following successful work in developing methods helped protect important wine , silk industries.

in may 1881, pasteur – in collaboration assistants jean-joseph henri toussaint, Émile roux , others – performed public experiment @ pouilly-le-fort demonstrate concept of vaccination. prepared 2 groups of 25 sheep, 1 goat, , several cows. animals of 1 group injected anthrax vaccine prepared pasteur twice, @ interval of 15 days; control group left unvaccinated. thirty days after first injection, both groups injected culture of live anthrax bacteria. animals in unvaccinated group died, while of animals in vaccinated group survived.

after apparent triumph, reported in local, national , international press, pasteur made strenuous efforts export vaccine beyond france. used celebrity status establish pasteur institutes across europe , asia, , nephew, adrien loir, travelled australia in 1888 try , introduce vaccine combat anthrax in new south wales. vaccine unsuccessful in challenging climate of rural australia, , superseded more robust version developed local researchers john gunn , john mcgarvie smith.

the human vaccine anthrax became available in 1954. cell-free vaccine instead of live-cell pasteur-style vaccine used veterinary purposes. improved cell-free vaccine became available in 1970.