In 2001, a bioterrorism attack involving Bacillus anthracis spore-laced letters resulted in 22 cases of inhalation anthrax, with five fatalities. This incident identified gaps in our health care system and precipitated a renewed interest in identifying both therapeutics and rapid diagnostic assays. To address those gaps, well-characterized animal models that resemble the human disease are neede...

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Bacillus anthracis is a soil bacterium that has been present on earth since ancient times. Anthrax spores can persist in the soil for years, particularly in areas with high levels of soil nitrogen, a pH greater than 6.0, and ambient temperatures greater than 15°C (59°F). Heavy rains after prolonged drought also promote high levels of soil contamination. These factors are ...

INTRODUCTION In August 2011, Chittoor district authorities reported a cluster of suspected human anthrax cases to the Andhra Pradesh state surveillance unit. We investigated this cluster to confirm its etiology, describe its magnitude, identify potential risk factors, and make recommendations for preventing similar outbreaks in the future. METHODOLOGY Suspected cutaneous anthrax was defined a...

Three classes of low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria (Firmicutes), Bacilli, Clostridia and Negativicutes, include numerous members that are capable of producing heat-resistant endospores. Spore-forming firmicutes include many environmentally important organisms, such as insect pathogens and cellulose-degrading industrial strains, as well as human pathogens responsible for such diseases as anthrax, b...

Anthrax, caused by Bacillus anthracis, a Gram-positive spore-forming bacterium, is initiated by the entry of spores into the host body. There are three types of human infection: cutaneous, inhalational, and gastrointestinal. For each form, B. anthracis spores need to cross the cutaneous, respiratory or digestive epithelial barriers, respectively, as a first obligate step to establish infection....

The nontoxic mutant lethal factor (mLF; which has the E687C substitution) and functional protective antigen (PA63) of Bacillus anthracis were evaluated for their use as mucosal vaccines against anthrax in A/J mice. Intranasal vaccination of three doses of 30 microg of mLF or 60 microg of PA63 elicited significant serum and mucosal antibody responses, with anthrax lethal toxin-neutralizing titer...

Bacillus anthracis, the cause of anthrax, has been used as a bioterrorism agent. Because the isolation and identification of B. anthracis by culture can take days, first response units (hazardous materials [HAZMAT], firemen, police, and hospital personnel) desire a quick and easy test that can be done in the field to detect possible B. anthracis contamination (1, 4). To our knowledge, there are...

Rapid and accurate detection of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, remains an active area of research due to the continued threat of bioterrorist attack. The ability to differentiate Bacillus anthracis spores from spores belonging to other Bacillus species is important for the development of spore-based detection methods. Furthermore, not all Bacillus anthracis strains are full...