There has been a number of suspected and confirmed anthrax outbreaks/infections in China recently, including an anthrax pneumonia case and a human fatality in a 14-year-old boy.

In addition, cases have been reported from Turkey, Russia and Kazakhstan in recent weeks. The has also been a number of animal anthrax cases in the US.

So what is anthrax? How do animals and people get it? and What is it's "dark history"?

Joining me today to look at this serious bacterial pathogen is Stephen Berger, MD. Dr Berger is co-founder of GIDEON Informatics (Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Network) and he is the Emeritus Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Tel Aviv School of Medicine.