Epidemic Anthrax in the Eighteenth Century, the Americas

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Emerg Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Morens, David M.
• Description:
  Anthrax has been described as a veterinary disease of minor importance to clinical medicine, causing occasional occupational infections in single cases or clusters. Its potential for rapid and widespread epidemic transmission under natural circumstances has not been widely appreciated. A little-known 1770 epidemic that killed 15,000 people in Saint-Domingue (modern Haiti) was probably intestinal anthrax. The epidemic spread rapidly throughout the colony in association with consumption of uncooked beef. Large-scale, highly fatal epidemics of anthrax may occur under unusual but natural circumstances. Historical information may not only provide important clues about epidemic development but may also raise awareness about bioterrorism potential.
• Subjects:
  • Black or African American
  • Animals
  • Anthrax
  • Cattle
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Food Microbiology
  • History, 18Th Century
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Diseases
  • Meat
• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis. 8(10):1160-1162.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Genre:
  Historical Article
• Place as Subject:
  Haiti
• Volume:
  8
• Issue:
  10
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/13975/cdc_13975_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 167.02 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:1bd5eb8a9db98bf4ff23b1ec54f341771d063a69835b5cf219a2a2046ac80f57