Anthrax

Anthrax is an acute infectious disease, most commonly found in agricultural regions where it occurs in animals such as cattle, sheep, goats etc. However, it can be transmitted to humans, chiefly by skin infection or via food contamination. In such instances treatment by antibiotics can be effective if administered early after infection.

Inhalation (or respiratory) anthrax is the third form of the disease and has been linked with bio-terrorism because, if air-borne spores are inhaled, the resultant lung disease can be fatal in between 30% and 50% of cases. In 2002 the US government decided, under a major programme called ‘BioShield’, to build a stockpile of a new anthrax vaccine. A stockpile of 75m doses would provide enough injections to protect 25m people (based on treatment of three doses per head). This compared with the only currently licensed vaccine, know as AVA (or BioThrax), which requires six doses over 18 months to be fully effective. The existing vaccine was developed in the US during the 1950s for use by military and civilian emergency services personnel.