title: Evaluation of cutaneous anthrax cases during an outbreak in the east region of Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anthrax is a zoonotic infection caused by Bacillus anthracis. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate cutaneous anthrax cases that occurred during an outbreak in eastern Turkey (Hakkari-Yüksekova), where people mostly earn their living from animal husbandry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six cutaneous anthrax patients that were admitted to the hospital during a very short duration of 3 months (June-August 2011) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 46 patients, 27 (52%) were women and 19 (48%) were men. The mean age was 37 ± 13 years. The distribution of occupations was 1 butcher, 1 cook, 5 farmers, 27 housewives, 11 shepherds, and 1 teacher. Multiple lesions were seen in 7 patients (15%) and the rest of the patients had only 1 lesion. We observed significant clinical differences among the cases and noted which particular symptoms were associated with the various skin lesions. We treated our patients with intramuscular procaine penicillin or oral ciprofloxacin/doxycycline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anthrax is an important health problem that can cause lethal outbreaks. Therefore, one should think about anthrax when faced with a patient with history of animal contact that has a painless ulcer with edema and/or vesicles, especially in endemic countries like Turkey.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Eren Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kural Ünüvar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Deniz Bahar
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Akgün Karapınar
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Dumlupınar University, Kütahya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nazlı
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dizen Namdar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Bacillus anthracis; animal husbandry; cutaneous anthrax