Anthrax decontamination

Infected individuals Unless the individual is reporting directly from the scene of an attack (e.g., "anthrax" letter, aerosol release, etc.) then decontamination is not necessary. Use standard protocols for individuals that may be infected with a communicable disease transmissible via an aerosol. 

Decontamination Soap and water, or diluted sodium hypochlorite solution (0.5 percent). Drainage and secretion precautions are necessary. After invasive procedures or autopsy, decontaminate instruments and surfaces with 0.5 percent sodium hypochlorite or with a sporici Anthrax, after symptoms have became apparent, can be very deadly. Although the death rate for dermal anthrax is roughly about five to 20 percent, the fatality rate for inhalation anthrax after symptoms progress is almost always fatal, regardless of treatment. 

Anthrax Among Decontamination/Cleanup Workers Responding to an Intentional Distribution of Bacillus anthracis... 

Decontamination/cleanup workers working in environments known to be contaminated with Bacillus anthracis spores may be at risk for inhalational anthrax. These workers should wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow appropriate procedures, as outlined in other CDC Guidance documents. 

Chlorine dioxide is a yellow to reddish-yellow gas that can decompose rapidly in air. Because it is a hazardous gas, chlorine dioxide is always made at the place where it is used. Chlorine dioxide is used as a bleach at pulp mills, which make paper and paper products, and in public water treatment facilities, to make water safe to drink. In 2001, chlorine dioxide was used to decontaminate a number of public buildings following the release of anthrax spores in the United States. Chlorine dioxide is soluble in water and will rapidly react with other compounds. When it reacts in water, chlorine dioxide will form chlorite ion, which is also a very reactive compound. 

Many chemical companies produce decontamination agents. DuPont, for instance, makes chlorine dioxide, the material used to decontaminate the Hart office building after anthrax contamination. DuPont did not perform the decontamination, however, because they did not know the effect of that product on a building, its infrastructure, computers, papers, or even the carpet. Although DuPont makes both the carpet and the decontaminant, we have never investigated the interaction of the two products. This is the kind of new, integrated thinking that is called for. 

Decontamination connected with anthrax (terrorist attacks on U.S. offices involving anthrax have been dealt with C102)... 

The risks posed by an intentional outbreak of anthrax cannot be minimized, as the potential effects go beyond merely the medical. The primary costs of a biological terrorism-related anthrax event in terms of lives lost, medical resources required to treat affected individuals, and economic burden to decontaminate spores are significant. Certainly, the subsequent psychological and societal costs could be as high or higher, based on the US Federal government experience with the 2001 anthrax letters. On a collective level, a major epidemic of anthrax can destroy the social order (Guille-min, 1999). 

The distribution of B. anthracis endospores in mailings through the US Postal Service in the fall of 2001 served to ignite public awareness concerning anthrax as a weapon of mass destruction. Deliberate contamination of the mail resulted in 22 cases of anthrax (11 inhalational and 11 cutaneous). These mailings led to five deaths among the inhalational anthrax cases and an enormous economic burden associated with decontamination. The media coverage and public fallout unveiled the deficiencies in our current risk assessment of anthrax. 

The effects on public order, as well as economic and social effects, should be considered in an assessment of weaponized anthrax risk. Decontamination of the Hart... 

Sandia National Laboratory has developed two decontamination foams (1) MDF-100 and (2) DF-200 (Lukey et al. 2004). MDF-100 consists of two components that, when mixed, generate a foam that is used for decontamination. It has been reported that MDF-100 has the ability to neutralize anthrax spores. DF-200 is a faster acting foam than MDF-100 (Lukey et al. 2004). 

MDF-lOO was advertised as being equally effective against biological agents. In response to the terrorist anthrax letters of 2001, MDF-lOO was considered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a decontaminant for facilities. Use of MDF-lOO was cancelled by the EPA in March 2002 because of concerns that it did not neutralize anthrax spores with sufficient speed. 

Moreover, the contents of the former American Media Inc. building in Boca Raton, FL—namely, thousands of boxes—exposed to anthrax in 2001, were set to be decontaminated for a second time to ensure all of the pathogen is eliminated, given the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Palm Beach Country Health Department [220]. 

If there is a strong possibility the powder is anthrax spores, you should quarantine the area and you must perform decontamination before removing your PPE. 

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