How Shaving Brushes made WWI soldiers sick

Read this very interesting article about how soldiers contracted anthrax during WWI due to the animal hair in their shaving brushes. Before the war, bristles were made from boar, horse and badger hair. Badger hair was preferable and when it was in short supply during the war, they turned to horsehair. A bacterium hid out in the non-disinfected hair and was transmitted to the men through the nicks and cuts on their face. This article asks the question, could this happen now? Not likely as brushes after 1930 have been disinfected but if you still use a vintage brush, maybe just give it a nice clean with disinfectant.

#anthrax #WWI #infection