Which of the following is a potential consequence of Bacillus anthracis?

Bacillus anthracis is the bacterium that causes anthrax, which can manifest in several forms depending on the route of infection. One of the severe forms of anthrax is inhalation anthrax, which primarily affects the lungs and can lead to pneumonia-like symptoms. However, the potential consequence that specifically relates to Bacillus anthracis and is associated with central nervous system involvement is CNS meningitis, which can occur if the infection spreads to the meninges or involves the bloodstream leading to septic meningitis.

In this case, while pneumonia is a related condition due to inhalational anthrax, it is not the direct consequence of Bacillus anthracis itself in the same way as CNS meningitis, which indicates a more severe and systemic infection involving the central nervous system. In contrast, other options like Giardia infection, which is caused by a protozoan parasite, and viral hepatitis, which is a viral infection, are not associated with Bacillus anthracis infections. Therefore, they do not qualify as consequences resulting from exposure to this particular bacterium.