Information for Persons Who May Have Been Exposed to Anthrax 

You were in an area where an unknown substance was found.  Fire and law enforcement 
agencies are assessing the incident to determine if a true threat to your health exists or if it 
is a hoax.  In most incidents involving suspicious powders, there is no anthrax.

These precautions are intended to protect you if anthrax was present.  If there is 
sufficient credibility to warrant hazmat team response and expanded law 
enforcement and local health department involvement, we will ask you to give 
designated staff personnel your name, address and phone number.  It is important 
that you give a number where you can easily be reached in the next 2-3 days.  If it is 
determined that anthrax was used, you will be notified immediately.  This information 
will be kept confidential and will only be used for follow-up information or instructions.

 PRIVATE  Facts about Anthrax tc  \l 1 "Facts about Anthrax" 

Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus 
anthracis.  Anthrax most commonly occurs in hoofed animals and can also infect 
humans.

Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but usually 
occur within 7 days after exposure.  The three forms of human anthrax are inhalation 
anthrax, intestinal anthrax, and cutaneous anthrax.

Initial symptoms of inhalation anthrax infection resemble the flu, with fever, cough, sore 
throat, and muscle aches.  After several days, the symptoms may progress to severe 
breathing problems and shock.  Inhalation anthrax is often fatal.

The intestinal disease form of anthrax is very rare.  It comes from eating undercooked 
meat from infected animals.  Initial signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and fever, 
are followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea.

A cutaneous (skin) infection due to anthrax can occur if the spores are in contact with an 
area of skin that is not intact, such as a cut or sore.  Cutaneous anthrax is marked by a 
boil-like lesion that eventually forms an ulcer with a black center.  The cutaneous form 
responds well to antibiotics if treatment is started soon after symptoms appear.

Anthrax is not spread from person-to-person.  
Therefore, there is no need to treat contacts of persons ill with anthrax, such as household 
contacts, friends, or coworkers, unless they also were also exposed to the same source of 
infection.

In persons exposed to anthrax, infection can be prevented with antibiotic treatment.
Early antibiotic treatment of anthrax is essential.  Anthrax is usually treated with 
ciprofloxacin or doxycycline.
continued


Instructions
You do not need to go to a doctor or start any medications today.  When you get home, 
take a shower, shampoo your hair, and wash your clothes with regular detergent.  You do 
not need to use any special disinfectants or bleach.

Symptoms of anthrax exposure usually occur 1-7 days after initial contact.  If you begin 
to experience severe flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, or trouble breathing- 
go to your physician or local emergency room immediately.  Tell medical staff you 
were involved in an anthrax threat incident and may have been exposed.  Take this 
information sheet with you for reference.

Key facts to remember:
	- Anthrax is not contagious.
	- Anthrax is treatable.
	- There have been no reported anthrax cases in Oregon.
	- Nationally, most of these incidents have been hoaxes.


For more information or to speak to a public safety representative, please contact 

	
	local law enforcement agency 							
						(insert phone number/contact information)


	or fire department									
						(insert phone number/contact information)


Other sources of information include:


Your local health department									
			     (insert county health dept. phone number/contact information)

Oregon Health Services
Office of Disease Prevention and Epidemiology
800 NE Oregon Street,  Portland, OR 97232
(503) 731-4024  (M-F, 8-5)		(503) 731-4030  (after hours)
http://www.healthoregon.org/

Centers for Disease Control 
1600 Clifton Rd,  Atlanta, GA 30333			
(800) 311-3435	http://www.bt.cdc.gov