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Bacillus anthracis, the etiologic agent of anthrax, is a large, gram-positive, non-motile, spore-forming bacterial rod. The three virulence factors of Bacillus anthracis are edema toxin, lethal toxin, and a capsular antigen. Human anthrax has three major clinical forms: cutaneous, inhalation, and gastrointestinal.
Bacillus anthracis spores do not have a characteristic appearance such as color, smell, or taste. Spores themselves are too small to be seen by the naked eye, but have been mixed with powder to transport them.
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