Editing Anthrax (section)

== Prognosis ==
Cutaneous anthrax is rarely fatal if treated,<ref name="bravata">{{cite journal | vauthors = Holty JE, Bravata DM, Liu H, Olshen RA, McDonald KM, Owens DK | title = Systematic review: a century of inhalational anthrax cases from 1900 to 2005 | journal = Annals of Internal Medicine | volume = 144 | issue = 4 | pages = 270–80 | date = February 2006 | pmid = 16490913 | doi = 10.7326/0003-4819-144-4-200602210-00009 | s2cid = 8357318 }}</ref> because the infection area is limited to the skin, preventing the [[Anthrax lethal factor endopeptidase|lethal factor]], [[edema]] factor, and protective [[antigen]] from entering and destroying a [[vital organ]]. Without treatment, up to 20% of cutaneous skin infection cases progress to [[Bacteremia|toxemia]] and death.<ref name="Types of Anthrax {{!}} CDC">{{Cite web |date=2020-11-19 |title=Types of Anthrax {{!}} CDC |url=https://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/basics/types/index.html |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=www.cdc.gov |language=en-us |archive-date=11 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511091519/http://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/basics/types/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Before 2001, fatality rates for inhalation anthrax were 90%; since then, they have fallen to 45%.<ref name="Yellow2020" /> People that progress to the [[fulminant]] phase of inhalational anthrax nearly always die, with one case study showing a death rate of 97%.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Holty JE, Bravata DM, Liu H, Olshen RA, McDonald KM, Owens DK | title = Systematic review: a century of inhalational anthrax cases from 1900 to 2005 | journal = Annals of Internal Medicine | volume = 144 | issue = 4 | pages = 270–80 | date = February 2006 | pmid = 16490913 | doi = 10.7326/0003-4819-144-4-200602210-00009 | s2cid = 8357318 | url = https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16490913/ | access-date = 10 September 2020 | archive-date = 28 August 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200828030022/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16490913/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Anthrax meningoencephalitis is also nearly always fatal.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Lanska DJ | title = Anthrax meningoencephalitis | journal = Neurology | volume = 59 | issue = 3 | pages = 327–34 | date = August 2002 | pmid = 12177364 | doi = 10.1212/wnl.59.3.327 | s2cid = 37545366 | url = https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12177364/ | access-date = 10 September 2020 | archive-date = 17 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200717003446/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12177364/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

Gastrointestinal anthrax infections can be treated, but usually result in fatality rates of 25% to 60%, depending upon how soon treatment commences.

Injection anthrax is the rarest form of anthrax, and has only been seen to have occurred in a group of heroin injecting drug users.<ref name="Types of Anthrax {{!}} CDC"/>