The results can be deadly when anthrax bacteria are inhaled; the protein causes rapid swelling and fluid buildup in the lungs. The less serious form of anthrax, caused when the bacteria infect the skin, results in more limited swelling that is easier to treat.

What happens if you inhale 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. Without treatment, inhalation anthrax is almost always fatal. However, with aggressive treatment, about 55% of patients survive.

Why does anthrax kill you?

The investigators, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, concluded that anthrax-induced death is caused primarily by lethal toxin targeting heart cells and muscle cells surrounding blood vessels, and edema toxin targeting liver cells.