What are the clinical symptoms of pulmonary anthrax? What is the overall mortality rate?
Answer: First stage (first 2-3 days) consists of influenza-like symptoms such as dry cough, fever, and aches. Then sudden progression to second stage, which is characterized by difficulty breathing, substernal pressure due to bloody pleural effusion, and sepsis. Chest x-ray shows widening of the mediastinum. Mortality rate near 100% if untreated.