differential diagnosis of anthrax

Differential diagnosis

Causative organism(s) in parentheses

• cutaneous anthrax
  • ecthyma gangrenosum (Pseudomonas aeruginosa)
  • rat-bite fever (Streptobacillus moniliformis, Spirillium minor)
  • ulceroglandular tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
  • plague (Yersinia pestis)
  • glanders (Pseudomonas pseudomallei)
  • rickettsialpox (Rickettsia akari)
  • Orf (parapoxvirus)
  • Staphylococcal lymphadenitis (Staphylococcus aureus)
  • cutaneous tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis)
  • leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae)
  • Buruli ulcer (Mycobacterium ulcerans)
• gastrointestinal anthrax
  • typhoid (Salmonella typhi)
  • intestinal tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
  • acute gastroenteritis
  • peritonitis
  • mechanical intestinal obstruction
  • peptic or duodenal ulcer
• inhalation anthrax
  • acute bacterial mediastinitis
  • Mycoplasmal pneumonia (Mycoplasma pneumoniae)
  • Legionnaire's disease (Legionella pneumophila)
  • psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci)
  • tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
  • Q fever (Coxiella burnetii)
  • viral pneumonia (influenza virus, hantavirus, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, cytomegalovirus, varicella- zoster virus)
  • histoplasmosis, fibrous mediastinitis (Histoplasma capsulatum)
  • coccidioidomycosis (Coccidioides immitis)
  • ruptured aortic aneurysm
  • superior vena cava syndrome
  • silicosis
  • sarcoidosis
• meningeal anthrax
  • subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • bacterial meningitis
  • aseptic meningitis

More general terms

• differential diagnosis

Additional terms

• anthrax (woolsorter's disease)