Anthrax public health risk

Anthrax remains both a serious public health hazard and a very real biological weapon threat. A deliberate release of an anthrax weapon in a populated area could have catastrophic implications. An economic model developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested a cost of 26.2 billion to treat 100,000 people exposed to anthrax (Kaufinann et al., 1997). A risk assessment, provided at the end of this chapter, will serve to highlight the dangers of a realistic scenario involving anthrax spores. 

First, assess the probability of exposure. By doing so, clinicians can determine whether the patient is at risk for anthrax disease, whether to notify public health officials and law enforcement agencies and whether to begin preventive or curative... 

These are anthrax, smallpox, plague, botulism, tularemia, viral hemorrhagic fevers and ricin. They can disseminate and present a high risk on public health. Most of them require Level 4 Biosafety laboratories. 

Currently, there is no anthrax vaccine for children. The anthrax vaccine used for adults has never been studied in children, and it is not recommended for people younger than 18 years old. It is currently available only for people in the military service, although public health officials are now considering its use for people in other high-risk professions. 

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