The human cutaneous anthrax case-fatality rate is ≈1% when treated, 5%-20% when untreated. We report high case-fatality rates (median 35.0%; 95% CI 21.1%-66.7%) during 2005-2016 linked to livestock handling in northern Ghana, where veterinary resources are limited. Livestock vaccination and access to human treatment should be evaluated.
Keywords: Africa; Bacillus anthracis; Ghana; bacteria; case-fatality rate; cutaneous anthrax; enteric infections; food safety; gastrointestinal anthrax; human anthrax; livestock; livestock vaccination; mortality; surveillance.