LYZ and anthrax infection: In the present study, sheep blood agar plates were used for cultivation of B. anthracis from spleen tissue after necropsy, although PLET (polymyxin–lysozyme–EDTA–thallous acetate) agar is recommended when anthrax is suspected [11]; it is a suitable selective medium for contaminated samples but is not routinely used in our laboratory due to the small number of anthrax cases.