Anthrax is diagnosed by isolating B. anthracis from the blood, skin lesions, or respiratory secretions or by measuring specific antibodies in the blood of persons with suspected cases.In patients with symptoms compatible with anthrax, providers should confirm the diagnosis by obtaining the appropriate laboratory specimens based on the clinical form of anthrax that is suspected (i.e., cutaneous, inhalational, or gastrointestinal).

Cutaneous - Vesicular fluid and blood

Inhalational - Blood, cerebrospinal fluid (if meningeal signs are present) or chest X-ray

Gastrointestinal - Blood

When is a nasal swab indicated?

Nasal swabs and screening may assist in epidemiologic investigations, but should not be relied upon as a guide for prophylaxis or treatment.

Is there an X-ray for detecting Anthrax?
A chest X-ray can be used to help diagnose inhalation anthrax in people who have symptoms. It is not useful as a test for determining anthrax exposure or for people with no symptoms.

Can the presence of Bacillus Anthracis spores be detected by a characteristic appearance, odor, or taste?
Bacillus anthracis spores do not have a characteristic appearance (e.g., color), smell, or taste. Spores themselves are too small to be seen by the naked eye.

What is subtyping?
Subtyping is a laboratory process to identify different subtypes of organisms, which is not possible with standard microbiological testing. Most Bacillus anthracis subtyping is done by examining the organism's molecular structure for certain genetic characteristics that can then be compared with those of other B. anthracis organism's to determine whether they are the same or different.

Differences between these two organisms would indicate different strains.

Is subtyping different from polymerase chain reaction (PCR)?
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a laboratory method used to detect and amplify genetic material from organisms. It can be used to diagnose disease by identifying genetic material (DNA) commonly found in all Bacillus anthracis strains or it can be used to subtype the organism by amplifying specific genetic material and comparing it with known strains of B. anthracis to see if it matches or if it is different.