The specialist noted that anthrax from person to person "if it is transmitted, it is very difficult."
"Therefore, there is no epidemic of anthrax among people. This is a disease of large and small cattle and a person is infected most often from animals. Unless, of course, there are some artificial reasons for this, "said Altstein.
He added that anthrax occurs in two forms.
"Most often this is the so-called "skin" form, when boils-carbuncles appear on the skin, when they are opened there, black contents are found ... This disease is severe and even with a skin form, people die in 20% if not treated. But it's treated with antibiotics... Another thing is that sometimes there is a pulmonary form. Bacteria enter the lungs and severe pneumonia occurs, and it is very difficult to cope with it without treatment, "the virologist noted.
However, the interlocutor of RT drew attention to the fact that pulmonary forms of the disease are extremely rare.
"Skin forms are also rare, because most of the infection occurs among animals ... But all these things are done by epidemiologists and veterinarians-epizootologists. As a result, I think the sources will find and stop them. Do not scare the people, because there is no real danger here, "Altstein concluded.
Earlier, the press service of the Ministry of Health of the Moscow region reported that preliminary tests of two patients with suspected anthrax do not confirm the presence of the disease.
On March 15, it became known that two patients with anthrax were hospitalized in Chuvashia.