Anthrax meningo-encephalitis in a neonate

Abstract

Anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivorous animals; humans acquire the infection by handling infected dead animals or animal by-products. We report a 28 day old male infant, youngest of all reported Indian anthrax patients with Cutaneous anthrax which disseminated and lead to fatal anthrax meningo-encephalitis. The child's parents or siblings did not report contact with dead animals or animal by-products. Mechanical transmission through insect bite was the likely route for acquisition of this infection by the infant.