Anthrax
Anthrax is originally an animal disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. There are two types of this disease, cutaneous and pulmonary. 95% of recent cases from the USA fell into the category of pulmonary anthrax. Cutaneous anthrax breaks out when bacteria from an infected animal get under the skin. A person with this disease has small protruding lesions on the skin, which gradually turn into purulent ulcers with swelling. If the lesion appears on the neck or around the eyes, it may indicate a complication. The incubation period for the cutaneous form of anthrax is 1-7 days. If the patient is not treated with effective antibiotics, the mortality rate for this disease is between 10 - 20%. With proper treatment, the mortality rate is less than 1%.