Efferocytosis and Anthrax: Implications for Bacterial Sepsis?

Abstract

Bacillus anthracis (Ba) is a gram-positive, rod-shaped, sporeand toxin-forming bacterium. While mainly an herbivore pathogen, human infection with Ba spores can occur through a number of routes including cutaneous, gastrointestinal, injectional, or inhalational [1]. The deadliest form of anthrax exposure is through inhalation of Ba spores, leading to systemic dissemination of the bacteria, with mortality ranging from 45% to 90% [2,3]. Current evidence suggests that sepsis, defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection [4], is likely to play a critical role in death from systemic anthrax [5].