| Species/Subspecies:
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Bacillus anthracis |
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| Etymology:
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Genus name: small rod
Species epithet: Greek anthrax coal, in reference to the black skin lesions of cutaneous anthrax |
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| Significance: | The consequences of an anthrax outbreak are serious. In Sweden only sporadic cases in animals have been reported between the years 1910 and 1971. There was an outbreak in pigs and cattle 1956-57. Thereafter two more outbreaks have been reported (1981 in Uppland and 2008 in Halland).
[Very important]
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| Taxonomy:
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| Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
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| Firmicutes | Bacilli | Bacillales | Bacillaceae | Bacillus |
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| Type Strain:
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ATCC 14578 = NCTC 10340 |
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Macromorphology (smell):
 | Grey-white large irregular colonies (diameter 3-5 mm) without hemolysis, colonies become mucoid in the presence of CO2 and NaHCO3 |
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Micromorphology:
  
 | Large non motile rods (1.0-1.2 x 3-5 µm) in chains. The rods have characteristic edgy corners (sometimes not visible at capsule staining). Can produce oval spores located centrally in the bacterial cell (sporangium). |
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| Gram +/Gram -: | G+ |
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| Metabolism:
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Facultatively anaerobic |
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| Catalase/Oxidase: | +/- |
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| Other Enzymes:
| Lecithinase+ |
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| Biochemical Tests:
| Voges-Proskauer+ |
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| Fermentation of carbohydrates:
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| D-Glucose | Lactose | Maltose | L-rhamnose | Sucrose |
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| + | - | + | - | + | | L-Arabinos | Cellobios | D-mannitol | Salicin | Trehalose |
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| - | - | - | - | + | | Glycerol | Inulin | Raffinose | D-sorbitol | Starch |
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| - | - | - | - | + |
Gas production: Glucose (gas) -.
Other carbohydrates: D-xylose -. |
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| Spec. Char.:
| B. anthracis can be distinguished from B. cereus and B. turingienses through the capsule, tiamine (vitamin B) dependent growth and that it is lysed by gamma phages |
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| Hosts:
| Cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, humans etc. |
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| Reservoir:
| Soil can contain B. anthracis spores |
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| Disease (Swedish): | Mjältbrand (eller antrax). Antrax är en zoonos. |
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| Disease (English): | Anthrax |
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| Clinical Picture:
| Human anthrax occurs in three forms: cutaneous, pulmonary and gastrointestinal. In ruminants and horses anthrax occurs primarely as septicemia. |
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| Virulence Factors:
| Carries two plasmids (pX01 and pX02) with virulence genes. The plasmid pX01 contains toxin genes and pX02 genes for synthesis of the capsule, which consists of poly-D-glutamate. The toxin consists of three thermo labile protein components: factor I (edema factor), II (protective antigen) and III (lethal factor). The factors I and III block important signal systems in the cell. The capsule is composed of poly-D-glutamic acid and inhibits phagocytosis. B. anthracis also produces two siderophores (iron-binding substances), petrobactin och bacillibactin. |
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| Genome Sequence:
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| Acc-no | Strain | Size (bp) | Genome |
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| NC_007530 | Ames Ancestor | 5 227 419 | 1c + 2c |
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| 16S rRNA Seq.:
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| Acc-no | Strain | Number of NT | Operon |
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| AB190217 | (T) | 1306 | 11 |
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| Taxonomy/phylogeny:
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There are about 150 species of the genus Bacillus. Bacillus anthracis is very closely related to Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis, but the latter miss pX01 and pX02. |
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| Legislation:
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Anthrax is a notifible disease. Bacillus anthracis belongs to category A as a potential bioterrorism agent according to NIAID. |
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| Comment: | Bacillus anthracis spores are very resistant and outbreaks can often be traced to old anthrax graves. If the grave is disturbed and the spores come up to the surface they can germinate (become vegetative cells). |
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| Reference(s):
| No. 87, 100 |
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