A Small Cutaneous Anthrax Epidemic in Eastern Turkey

Objectives: This study aims to investigate an epidemic of cutaneous anthrax in Tunceli Province, Eastern Turkey.Materials and methods: Seven cases with cutaneous anthrax, admitted to emergency room, were diagnosed and followedat Elazig Harput State Hospital in August 2011. The possible sources of epidemic and clinical characteristics ofthe patients were evaluated.Results: The mean age of seven cases with cutaneous anthrax was 34.1±8 years, of whom four were male and threewere female. All patients were from the same village of Cemisgezek, Tunceli, and all of them had contacted with a deadanimal. Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid-resistant Bacillus anthracis was recovered from a patient’ wound. This resistance maybe related with the inappropriate use of antibiotics in animal and animal husbandry practices.Conclusion: Most of natural originated anthrax cases are cutaneous. Although the incidence of anthrax has decreasedin Turkey, the disease is still endemic in the eastern part of the country. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2012; 2(1): 9-13