B. anthracis can be found worldwide but is endemic in South America, the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.
One of the largest anthrax outbreaks occurred in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) in the late 1970s and early 1980s during a period of civil unrest. Researchers estimate that the outbreak infected over 170,000 cattle and over 17,000 humans and caused approximately 200 deaths.
In 2009 and 2010, an outbreak of anthrax occurred among injection drug users in Europe and the United Kingdom. Anthrax-contaminated heroin was blamed for the outbreak. Fifty-four cases and 17 fatalities were attributed to this outbreak.
