Anthrax in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Anthrax is a rare but potentially serious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. This germ most commonly affects wild and domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and deer. While human anthrax infections are very uncommon in the United States and in Michigan, it is important for Grand Rapids residents—especially those who work with animals or animal products—to understand the risks, symptoms, and local resources available.

What Is Anthrax?

Bacillus anthracis forms spores, which are tough, protective shells that allow the bacteria to survive harsh environmental conditions. These spores can remain infectious in the environment for many years.

Common places anthrax spores may be found include:

  • Soil (especially in areas where infected animals have died)
  • Animal hair, hides, and wool
  • Processed skins and hides from previously infected animals

Because Michigan has a strong agricultural sector and wildlife populations, animal outbreaks can occur, particularly in grazing animals. While most reported animal anthrax activity in Michigan has historically been outside dense urban areas, Grand Rapids–area farmers, veterinarians, and livestock handlers should remain aware of the disease.

Anthrax in Michigan and Grand Rapids

Anthrax is relatively rare in both animals and humans in Michigan. The last confirmed human case in the state occurred in February 2007. However, because spores can survive in soil for decades, occasional animal cases may still occur in rural parts of the state.

In the Grand Rapids and Kent County area:

  • Local public health response is coordinated by the Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health.
  • Major healthcare systems such as Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, and Mercy Health are prepared to diagnose and treat rare infectious diseases, including anthrax.
  • The cold Michigan winters and freeze–thaw cycles do not completely eliminate anthrax spores from soil, so long-term environmental persistence is possible in affected grazing areas.

How People Get Anthrax

Human anthrax infection is uncommon, and it does not spread easily from person to person. Most human cases occur in people who work closely with animals or animal products.

People can become infected with anthrax by:

  • Handling products from infected animals (hides, wool, hair, bone meal)
  • Breathing in anthrax spores from contaminated animal products (in industrial settings)
  • Eating undercooked meat from infected animals (very rare in developed countries)

Those at higher risk in the Grand Rapids region include:

  • Farmers and livestock owners in Kent County and surrounding rural areas
  • Veterinarians and veterinary staff
  • Meat-processing, tannery, or hide-processing workers
  • Laboratory workers handling Bacillus anthracis under controlled conditions

For the general public in Grand Rapids, the risk of anthrax is extremely low.

Types of Anthrax and Symptoms

Symptoms of anthrax in humans depend on how the spores enter the body. The three main types are:

  • Cutaneous anthrax (through the skin)
  • Pulmonary (inhalation) anthrax (through breathing in spores)
  • Intestinal (gastrointestinal) anthrax (through eating contaminated meat)

General symptoms that may occur with anthrax infection include:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Joint pains
  • General malaise (feeling unwell)
  • Gastrointestinal upset (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea)
  • Cough or flu-like symptoms
  • Chest pain

Cutaneous Anthrax (Skin Anthrax)

Cutaneous anthrax is the most common form, accounting for about 95% of cases worldwide. It occurs when spores enter the body through a cut, scratch, or open wound.

Typical progression:

  1. The affected skin area becomes itchy.
  2. A small sore develops, then turns into a blister (vesicle).
  3. The blister may break and bleed.
  4. Within 2–7 days, the blister becomes a sunken, dark-colored or black scab (called an eschar), which is usually painless.

Without treatment, the infection can spread to:

  • Nearby lymph nodes
  • The bloodstream (causing septicemia or sepsis)

Mortality rate for untreated cutaneous anthrax is about 5–20%, but death is rare with prompt antibiotic treatment.

Pulmonary (Inhalation) Anthrax

Pulmonary anthrax is a rare but very serious lung infection that occurs when a person inhales anthrax spores, usually in an industrial or laboratory setting.

Early symptoms often resemble a mild upper respiratory infection, such as:

  • Sore throat
  • Mild fever
  • Fatigue
  • Cough

Over the next few days, the person’s condition can rapidly worsen, leading to:

  • Severe breathing difficulties
  • Chest pain
  • Shock (dangerously low blood pressure)
  • Confusion or altered mental status

Without treatment, the mortality rate of inhalation anthrax is 70–80%. Even with aggressive treatment in an intensive care unit, pulmonary anthrax can be fatal in many cases. Fortunately, this form of anthrax is extremely rare in Michigan and the United States.

Intestinal (Gastrointestinal) Anthrax

Intestinal anthrax is very rare in developed countries like the United States. It occurs when a person eats undercooked meat from an infected animal, usually one that has died in the field rather than being properly inspected and processed.

Early symptoms include:

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Vomiting blood
  • Severe diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain
  • High fever

If the infection spreads to the bloodstream (septicemia), the death rate can range from 25–60% without timely treatment.

Is Anthrax Contagious?

Direct person-to-person spread of anthrax is extremely unlikely. Anthrax is not like the flu or COVID-19; it does not spread easily through casual contact, coughing, or being in the same room.

However:

  • People with anthrax are usually treated in the hospital, often in isolation, as a precaution.
  • Visitors and healthcare workers use standard infection-control practices, but contagiousness is not a major concern, even in cases of pulmonary anthrax.

Second attacks (reinfection) can occur but are very rare. Most people who recover from anthrax develop prolonged immunity.

How Anthrax Is Diagnosed in Grand Rapids

If a healthcare provider in Grand Rapids suspects anthrax, they may order one or more of the following tests:

  • Skin tests (examination and sampling of a skin lesion)
  • Blood tests to detect the bacteria or antibodies
  • Chest X-ray or CT scan for suspected pulmonary anthrax
  • Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) if there are signs of infection involving the brain or spinal cord

Local hospitals such as Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital, Trinity Health Grand Rapids Hospital, and Metro Health Hospital have access to advanced laboratory services and may coordinate with state and federal public health laboratories for confirmation.

Treatment for Anthrax

Urgent Treatment Is Essential

Immediate treatment is critical for all forms of anthrax. Most patients require hospitalization, and those with severe disease may need care in an intensive care unit (ICU).

Common antibiotics used to treat anthrax include:

  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Doxycycline
  • Amoxicillin (often preferred for children and certain adults when appropriate)

Treatment plans may also include:

  • Intravenous (IV) antibiotics
  • Supportive care (oxygen, fluids, medications to support blood pressure)
  • Close monitoring in a hospital setting

With prompt antibiotic treatment, especially for cutaneous anthrax, recovery is likely and death is rare.

Preventing Anthrax in Animals and the Environment

Because anthrax is primarily an animal disease, controlling it in livestock and wildlife is key to preventing human infection. In Michigan, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development works closely with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and local health departments when anthrax is suspected.

Key strategies include:

  • Rapid reporting of suspected animal cases
  • Treating symptomatic animals with appropriate antibiotics
  • Vaccinating at-risk animals and re-immunizing annually in known risk areas
  • Safe disposal of animal carcasses:
    • Deep burial with quicklime at the site of death, when possible
    • Cremation in controlled conditions
  • Avoiding autopsy of suspected anthrax carcasses
  • Avoiding open-field burning of carcasses
  • Decontaminating soil on infected farms with appropriate disinfectants (e.g., 5% formalin, where permitted and safe)
  • Seizing and safely destroying suspected infected animal products
  • Disinfecting contaminated premises and machinery with agents such as formaldehyde
  • Sterilizing imported bone meal before use as animal feed
  • Sterilizing wool, hair, hides, and other animal products using methods such as ethylene oxide gas or ionizing (gamma) radiation

If you suspect livestock in the Grand Rapids area have died from anthrax:

  • Do not move the carcass.
  • Contact your veterinarian and the appropriate state agriculture authority immediately.
  • Follow all guidance on safe handling and disposal.

Anthrax and Bioterrorism

Anthrax has been studied and used as a potential bioterrorism agent because its spores are durable and can be spread through the air.

In 2001, 22 human cases of anthrax were identified in the United States after the intentional release of highly refined anthrax spores through contaminated mail sent from Trenton, New Jersey. No similar mail-based transmission has been documented in the U.S. or elsewhere since that time.

In the months that followed, thousands of suspicious powder incidents were reported, but none were confirmed to involve anthrax.

Key points for Grand Rapids residents:

  • The use of anthrax as a bioterrorism agent remains a hypothetical risk, but:
    • The likelihood that an individual or group could successfully prepare and spread anthrax in the U.S., including in West Michigan, is considered low.
    • Local healthcare systems, emergency responders, and public health agencies in Grand Rapids participate in preparedness planning and drills for rare events, including potential bioterrorism.

If one or more people are diagnosed with anthrax without any known exposure to animals or animal products, public health authorities must consider the possibility of a deliberate release and will investigate accordingly.

Anthrax Vaccine

The United States manufactures an anthrax vaccine, primarily used for:

  • Certain military personnel
  • Laboratory workers handling Bacillus anthracis
  • Other high-risk occupational groups

Key facts about the vaccine:

  • It is not routinely given to the general public.
  • It involves six doses:
    • Three doses given two weeks apart
    • Three additional doses at 6, 12, and 18 months after the first dose
  • An annual booster is required to maintain ongoing immunity.

In special circumstances, the vaccine can be obtained by special arrangement for those at high risk.

Local Anthrax Resources in Grand Rapids

If you live in Grand Rapids or Kent County and have concerns about anthrax exposure or symptoms, you can seek help from:

  • Your primary care provider or local clinic

    • Corewell Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, and Mercy Health all have primary and urgent care locations throughout the metro area.

  • Local hospitals

    • Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids Hospital
    • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
    • Mercy Health facilities

  • Kent County Health Department / Grand Rapids Public Health
    For information on infectious disease prevention and local public health alerts.

  • Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)
    For statewide guidance on anthrax and other infectious diseases.

  • State agriculture authorities and your veterinarian
    If you suspect anthrax in livestock or other animals.

Key Points About Anthrax in Grand Rapids, MI

  • Anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis, a bacterium that forms long-lasting spores.
  • It is primarily a disease of wild and domesticated animals, including cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and deer.
  • Human anthrax infections are very rare in Michigan; the last confirmed human case in the state was in 2007.
  • Symptoms depend on the route of infection and may include skin lesions, fever, joint pains, headache, gastrointestinal upset, cough, and chest pain.
  • Cutaneous anthrax is the most common form; without treatment, it can spread to lymph nodes or blood, but death is rare with proper antibiotics.
  • Pulmonary and intestinal anthrax are rare but more severe and require urgent hospital care.
  • Person-to-person spread is extremely unlikely; anthrax is not considered contagious in the usual sense.
  • Treatment involves prompt antibiotics (such as ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, or amoxicillin) and often hospitalization.
  • Animal vaccination, proper carcass disposal, and environmental decontamination help eliminate anthrax from the environment.
  • The risk of anthrax being used as a bioterrorism agent is low, and local health systems in Grand Rapids are prepared to respond.
  • If you have concerns about possible exposure or symptoms, contact your doctor, local hospital, or Kent County Health Department promptly.