Many other diseases and conditions can damage the kidneys, including: 1  Autoimmune disorders (such as systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma) 2  Birth defects of the kidneys (such as polycystic kidney disease)  Some toxic chemicals.
Medical Definition of Anthrax Our Anthrax Main Article provides a comprehensive look at the who, what, when and how of Anthrax Anthrax: A serious bacterial infection caused by Bacillus anthracis that occurs primarily in animals. Cattle, sheep, horses, mules, and some wild animals are highly susceptible. Humans and swine are generally quite resistant to anthrax.
Anthrax is a well-known, ancient disease; the fifth plague visited upon the Egyptians in Genesis (see plagues of Egypt) resembles the disease. Pure cultures of the anthrax bacillus were obtained in 1876 by Robert Koch, who demonstrated the relationship of the microbe to the disease.Confirmation of the bacillus as the cause of anthrax was provided by Louis Pasteur, who also developed a method of vaccinating sheep and cattle against the disease.astrointestinal anthrax is more likely to be fatal. Nausea, vomiting, and fever can be followed by abdominal bleeding, tissue death, and septicemia. Pulmonary, or inhalation, anthrax begins with flulike symptoms and ultimately causes lesions in the lungs and brain.