Our site surveyors will perform a comprehensive anthrax testing which typically involves: Anthrax presentation for building surveyors : Visual inspection of the buildings and surrounding land Identification of high risk areas Collection of representative samples of building plaster or soil Laboratory analysis Recommendation of the most appropriate management and remediation actions As with many other hazards, the Bacillus anthracis is subject to COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations. Sysco Environmental can perform a comprehensive anthrax testing, sampling, and analysis of materials likely to be contaminated by anthrax spores. We can confidently determine whether anthrax is present and can advise our clients accordingly. We will ensure that your workers use appropriate protection measures, and that the risk of exposure and infection is significantly reduced.

1. ANTHRAX
The affects of Anthrax and how to determine its presence in a building

2. What is
Anthrax?
Anthrax is an infectious disease
caused by a gram-positive, rod-
shaped bacterium known as
Bacillus Anthracis.
Anthrax can appear in 4 forms:
• Cutaneous (skin)
• Inhalation
• Gastrointestinal (bowel)
• Injection

3. Where does Anthrax
come from?
Anthrax can be found naturally in soil.
Domestic and wild animals such as
cattle, sheep, goats, antelope, and
deer can become infected when they
breathe in or ingest spores in
contaminated soil, plants, or water.
Anthrax is more common in
developing countries and countries
that do not have veterinary public
health programs that routinely
vaccinate animals against anthrax.

4. How does
Anthrax
affect
livestock?
1. The bacterium Bacillus Anthracis produces dormant spores
that can live in soil for a very long time.
2. These spores will then enter the body of a living thing
where they can thrive, allowing the spores to be ‘activated’.
3. Once active, the bacteria can multiply and spread in the
body, producing toxins.

6. How does Anthrax affect us?
As mentioned earlier, Anthrax can appear as 4 different forms
and infect a human in many ways…

7. People who eat raw or undercooked
meat from infected animals may get
sick with gastrointestinal anthrax.
Once ingested, anthrax spores can
affect the upper gastrointestinal tract
(throat and oesophagus), stomach,
and intestines.
Infection usually develops from 1 to 7
days after exposure. Without
treatment, more than half of patients
with gastrointestinal anthrax die.
Gastrointestinal Anthrax

8. Symptoms of
Gastrointestinal
Anthrax?
• Fever and chills
• Swelling of neck or neck glands
• Sore throat
• Painful swallowing
• Hoarseness
• Nausea and vomiting, especially
bloody vomiting
• Diarrhoea or bloody diarrhoea
• Headache
• Red face and eyes
• Stomach Pain
• Fainting

9. Cutaneous anthrax occurs when
anthrax spores get into the skin via
cut, scrape or open wound.
This can happen when a person
handles infected animals or
contaminated animal products like
wool, hides, or hair.
Cutaneous Anthrax
Cutaneous anthrax is the most common form of
anthrax infection, and it is also considered to be
the least dangerous. Infection usually develops
from 1 to 7 days after exposure. Without treatment,
up to 20% of people with cutaneous anthrax may
die.

10. Symptoms of
Cutaneous
Anthrax?
• A group of small blisters or
bumps that may itch
• Swelling around the sore
• A painless skin sore (ulcer)
with a black centre that
appears after the small
blisters or bumps
• Most often, the sore will be
on the face, neck, arms or
hands

11. Recently, another type of anthrax
infection has been identified in
heroin-injecting drug users in
northern Europe.
The Anthrax infection enters the
body via intravenous injecting. There
was an outbreak among drug users
in Scotland between 2009 and 2010.
Symptoms are very similar to that of
Cutaneous Anthrax.
Injection Anthrax

12. Symptoms of
Injection
Anthrax?
• Fever and chills
• Small group of itchy blisters
or bumps appearing where
the drugs were injected
• A painless skin sore with a
black centre that appears
after the blisters or bumps
• Swelling around the sore
• Abscessed deep under the
skin or in the muscle where
the drugs were injected

13. When a person breathes in anthrax spores, they
can develop inhalation anthrax.
People who work in places such as wool mills,
slaughterhouses, and tanneries may breathe in the
spores when working with infected animals or
contaminated animal products from infected
animals.
Inhalation Anthrax
Inhalation anthrax starts primarily in the lymph nodes
in the chest before spreading throughout the rest of
the body, ultimately causing severe breathing
problems and shock.
Inhalation anthrax is considered to be the most deadly form
of anthrax. Infection usually develops within a week after
exposure, but it can take up to 2 months. Without treatment,
only about 10 – 15% of patients with inhalation anthrax
survive.

14. Symptoms of
Inhalation
Anthrax?
• Fever and chills
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Coughing
• Nausea or vomiting
• Drenching sweats
• Body aches
• Extreme fatigue

15. The good news is…
Cases of Anthrax are very rare, especially in the
UK. Also, it is believed that Anthrax, although it is
highly infectious, it is not contagious and cannot
be passed from person to person.

16. Why should Anthrax surveys be undertaken in historic
buildings and how do we sample for it?
Historically, animal hair has been used regularly in construction, usually as an addition in the mixture of
plaster, but occasionally it was used on ceilings to improve insulation. If contaminated with Bacillus
anthracis, it poses a serious hazard to anyone exposing it, even after many years of lying dormant within
the fabric of the building.
Although regulations to combat Anthrax were introduced in 1919, they were virtually ineffective until the
outbreak of the Second World War. Thus, architects or those involved in refurbishment of historic buildings
should be aware that sampling and analysis would be prudent in buildings over 65 years old to establish
whether there is a problem.
Bacillus anthracis is subject to COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations, this means
it must be controlled so obviously this can be done by undertaking an anthrax survey.

17. Horsehair plaster is found in
many historic buildings. We
would take samples from this
sort of plaster to analyse for the
presence of Anthrax

18. Similar to Asbestos, Anthrax
samples are taken by
scraping a small amount of
the plaster into a bag for
analysis.
Currently, there is only one
lab in the UK that analyses
for Anthrax.