(NewsNation) – Five countries in Africa reported Outbreaks of anthrax. The disease has been used as a weapon in the past. Here’s what you need to know about the potentially deadly disease.

What is anthrax?

Anthrax is a disease caused by bacteria, Bacillus anthracis, which occurs naturally in soil. It is rare in the United States and most common in Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, Central and Southwest Asia, the Caribbean, and Southern and Eastern Europe.

Where are the current outbreaks?

Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe are Report outbreaks of anthrax, with more than 1,000 cases reported.

How is anthrax transmitted?

Dr. Jayne Morgan, executive director of health and community education at Piedmont Health, told NewsNation that the current outbreaks are most likely caused by those who work with farm animals.

“What we are likely to see is an increase in food insecurity. So not just the handling of the livestock, but perhaps also the consumption of contaminated meat,” she said.

Anthrax spores can also be inhaled directly from the soil. Person-to-person transmission is possible, Morgan said, but rare.

Are the outbreaks related to terrorism?

No. While people in the United States may be most familiar with anthrax because letters containing Bacillus anthracis spores were sent to political leaders in the early 2000s, most outbreaks are linked to environmental exposures from agriculture or livestock. Just because there is an outbreak doesn’t mean something bad is at work.

“We often see them in people whose careers and the type of work they do bring them into constant contact with animals,” Morgan said.

What happens if someone is exposed to anthrax?

Anthrax can be infected in different ways Symptoms vary based on how one comes into contact with the spores.

Cutaneous anthrax can cause raised, itchy bumps, swelling, and flu-like symptoms. If anthrax comes into contact with an open wound, the infection can develop into an open wound.

Taking anthrax can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, headache, loss of appetite, fever, bloody diarrhea, sore throat, and a swollen throat.

Inhaled anthrax, the deadliest form of the disease, can cause flu-like symptoms, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, nausea, coughing up blood, difficulty swallowing, high fever, difficulty breathing, shock and meningitis.

How is anthrax exposure treated?

Anthrax is being treated with antibiotics and antitoxins. It can be fatal without treatment, and in the case of inhaled anthrax, it can be fatal even with treatment.

An anthrax vaccine is available to military personnel and some people who may come into contact with anthrax spores because of their work.

How worried should people be now?

Morgan said there is no reason for the public to be alarmed. Still, she said it was a good reminder of the importance of Safety measures.

“A lot of times people just feel uncomfortable in their practices and have kind of forgotten about anthrax,” she said. “We have these outbreaks that make us aware again of how we should actually deal with our environment.”