Vaccinations anthrax

In a guinea pig/aerosol model, 6 x 10 spores of the vaccine anthrax strain STI were detected in the lungs 1 h after infection from a dose of 2.43 x 10 spores. Bacillus anthracis was not detectable in the tracheobronchial lymph nodes until 2 days post-infection. On day 36 post-infection, lung levels were down to 10 spores and tracheobronchial lymph nodes were again negative. 

Vaccines. Anthrax and smallpox vaccines can be used before exposure and also for postexposuie prophylaxis. A pentavalent (ABODE) botulinum toxoid is currently used for laboratory workers at high risk of exposure. It is not effective for postexposure prophylaxis. Vaccines are not currently available for plague, tularemia, or viral hemorrhagic fevers. 

Schneerson R, Kubler-Kielb J, Liu TY et al (2003) Poly(y-D-glutamic acid) protein conjugates induce IgG antibodies in mice to the capsule of Bacillus anthracis a potential addition to the anthrax vaccine. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100 8945-8950... 

Rhie GE, Roehrl MH, Mourez M et al (2003) A dually active anthrax vaccine that confers protection against both bacilli and toxins. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100 10925-10930... 

The anthrax bioterrorist attacks that followed the events of September 11th 2001 resulted in a renewed interest BadUus anthracis, the causative agent of this disease. Research has focused on the development of better vaccines than the one currently available. It has been estimated that the aerosolized release of 100 kg of anthrax spores upwind of Washington DC would cause mortalities of 130,000-3,000,000 [63]. Nonetheless, wild-type Bacillus anthracis is susceptible to conventional antibiotics, including penicillin, oxyfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The problem lies not with the bacterial infection itself, but with three proteins released by the bacteria - protective antigen (PA, 83 kDa), lethal factor (LF, 90 kDa) and edema factor (EF, 89 kDa) -known as anthrax toxins [63]. 

The lack of financial profit of the production of orphan drug production is the main obstacle in achievement of the protection task. NBC orphan drugs (NBC-OD) are necessary in large amount, only in critical situations (war, natural or technological disaster, terrorist attack etc ). Practically all NBC-OD, with very few exceptions, like anthrax vaccine, have no civil use, as drugs. 

The advent of immunoproteomics made possible the identification of highly immunogenic proteins that can be used for vaccine development. Proteins that have the greatest potential for eliciting a protective immune response are collectively referred to as the pathogen s immunome. Immunoproteomics has been utilized to characterize the immu-nome of B. anthracis for the development of a safer and equally efficacious vaccine. The immunoreactive proteins are first identified by using 2DE Western blot analysis in conjunction with mass spectrometry. In B. anthracis, for example, antisera from humans post-infected with anthrax were used to probe Western blots of its various... 

Caution Although there is a vaccine for anthrax exposure, there is currently no human data for aerosol exposure. 

Vaccine is available for cutaneous, possibly inhalation, anthrax. Cutaneous anthrax responds to antibiotics (penicillin, terramydn, Chloromycetin), sulfadiazine, and immune serum. Pulmonary (inhaled) anthrax responds to immune serum in initial stages but is of little use after disease is well established. Intestinal, same as for pulmonary. 

Available killed vaccines include acellular pertussis, anthrax, botulism, cholera, diptheria, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), influenza, Lyme disease, meningococcus, pertussis, plague, pneumococcus, polio, rabies, tetanus, typhoid, and typhoid VI. 

An anthrax vaccine contains 0.0025% benzethonium chloride as preservative. When a subcutaneous injection of 0.5 mL is given as a booster dose, how many micrograms of the preservative does the patient get ... 

Anthrax A (Bacillus anfhracis) Animals— herbivores 1-5 days No Standa d (invasive procedures should be avoided) Inhalation— fever, dry cough,resp distress, meningitis cutaneous-skin ulcer Dea h may occur about 24-36 h post exposure Ciprofloxacin, doxycycline A vaccine is available... 

Anthrax vaccines Bacillus anthracis-duenwedu antigens found in a sterile filtrate of cultures of this microorganism Active immunization against anthrax... 

Anthrax, a disease caused by infection by Bacillus anthracis via spores, can be transmitted to humans or animals ruminants such as sheep, goats, cattle, and deer are most susceptible. The handling of infected animals or animal products may also lead to human infection. Recently, anthrax has been considered to be a potential candidate for bioterrorism activity. The spores are extremely hardy and may come into contact with humans through a cut or abrasion, through consumption of infected meat, or by inhalation. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) lists anthrax as a category A disease, and the only vaccine that currently exists has a number of drawbacks and health risks. 

Koya, V., Moayeri, M., Leppla, S.H., and Daniell, H. (2005). Plant-based vaccine mice immunized with chloroplast-derived anthrax protective antigen survive anthrax lethal toxin challenge. Infect. Immun. 73(12) 8266-8274. 

Azhar, A.M., Singh, S., Anand Kumar, R, and Bhutnagar, R. (2002). Expression of protective antigen in transgenic plants a step towards an edible vaccine against anthrax. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 299(3) 345-351. 

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