Anthrax is a zoonosis - a disease that is caught from animals. The name comes from the Greek word for coal, which refers to the black colour of the skin lesion. Skin infections account for most forms of the disease.

Anthrax occurs worldwide, but it is rare in animals and humans in Canada. People who work with animals and animal hides (mostly imported) are at some risk, especially in those parts of the world where anthrax is more common.