Bacillus anthracis infection, treatment

Chloroquine (Aralen) is also used in die treatment of extraintestinal amebiasis (see section on Amebicides). Doxycycline is also used to treat infections caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum, Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium, and Bacillus anthracis when penicillin is contraindicated. Quinine also may be used for die prevention and treatment of nocturnal leg cramps. 

Caution You would have to go to either penicillin G (aqueous) or penicillin G (sodium) for treatment of severe infections caused by sensitive organisms including bacillus anthracis. 

Levofloxacin (1), the levo-isomer or the (5)-enantiomer of ofloxacin, received FDA approval in 1996 (Fish, 2003 Hurst et al., 2002 Mascaretti, 2003 Norrby, 1999 North et al., 1998). The initial approval covered community-acquired pneumonia, acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, acute maxillary sinusitis, uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections, acute pyelonephritis, and complicated urinary tract infections (North et al., 1998). Four years later, the levofloxacin indication list grew to include community-acquired pneumonia caused by penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. In addition, in 2002, nosocomial (hospital-acquired) pneumonia caused by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Haemophilus influenzae, Kliebsella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli was added (Hurst et al., 2002). Finally in 2004, LVX was approved as a post-exposure treatment for individuals exposed to Bacillus anthracis, the microbe that causes anthrax, via inhalation (FDA, 2004). 

Currently there is considerable interest in fluoroquinolone antibacterials as these pharmaceuticals are used for the treatment of infections resulting from exposure to Bacillus anthracis (anthrax). In particular, Ciprofloxacin is specifically recommended however, utilization of other fluoroquinolones such as Levaquin and Te-quin is imder investigation. The first fluoroquinolone to establish clinical usage was Norfloxacin (1). This pharmaceutical also serves as an excellent example of the typical synthesis of fluoroquinolones which are almost invariably prepared via nucleophilic addition (SwAr) of an amine to a fluorochloroquinolone (2) as the final step (Scheme 1 However, it is known that this step may produce 10 - 25 % of an undesrred fluoro-substituted byproduct (3). ... 

Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that interferes with microbial DNA synthesis. It is indicated in the treatment of infections of the lower respiratory tract, skin and skin structure, bones and joints, urinary tract gonorrhea, chancroid, and infectious diarrhea caused by susceptible strains of specific organisms typhoid fever uncomplicated cervical and urethral gonorrhea women with acute uncomplicated cystitis acute sinusitis nosocomial pneumonia chronic bacterial prostatitis complicated intra-abdominal infections reduction of incidence or progression of inhalational anthrax following exposure to aerosolized Bacillus anthracis. Cipro IV Used for empirical therapy for febrile neutropenic patients. 

Pasteur s further research included investigating the diseases that plagued the French silk industry. He developed a means of vaccinating sheep against infection by Bacillus anthracis and a vaccine to protect chickens against cholera. Pasteur s most impressive achievement may have been the development of a treatment effective against the rabies virus for people bitten by rabid dogs or wolves. 

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