Suspected cutaneous anthrax in a yak herder in a highland community in Bhutan, 2023: A case report
Key clinical messageThis case presents cutaneous anthrax in yak herder from a central highland community in Bhutan. We highlight the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of the case in a resource-limited setting, and the public health response through the One Health approach. (Source: Clinical Case Reports)
Source: Clinical Case Reports - March 14, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Ugyen Chophel, Sangay Dorji, Kuenga Sonam, Thinley Dorji Tags: CASE REPORT Source Type: research

Vaccine Development
This article considers ethical considerations surrounding pediatric vaccine development for pandemic preparedness, examines some historical cases of pediatric vaccines developed during past smallpox, influenza, and 2019 coronavirus disease pandemics, and discusses the current state of vaccine development for pandemic preparedness, including vaccines against smallpox/mpox, influenza, anthrax, and Ebola that are included in the US Strategic National Stockpile and vaccines being developed against priority pathogens identified by the World Health Organization. (Source: Pediatric Clinics of North America)
Source: Pediatric Clinics of North America - March 12, 2024 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Elizabeth A.D. Hammershaimb, James D. Campbell Source Type: research

Modelling climate change impacts on the spatial distribution of anthrax in Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, anthrax is endemic with outbreaks being reported almost annually in livestock, wildlife, and humans over the past 40 years. Accurate modelling of its spatial distribution is key in formulating eff... (Source: BMC Public Health)
Source: BMC Public Health - February 28, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Learnmore John, Munyaradzi Davis Shekede, Isaiah Gwitira, Aldridge Nyasha Mazhindu, Davies Mubika Pfukenyi and Silvester Chikerema Tags: Research Source Type: research

CRISPR-Cas12a assisted recombinase based strand invading isothermal amplification platform designed for targeted detection of Bacillus anthracis Sterne
In this study, we have developed a nucleic acid pre-amplification based CRISPR diagnostic for detection and surveillance of Bacillus anthracis Sterne. Strand Invasion Based isothermal Amplification (SIBA) platform and Cas12a (CRISPR endo-nuclease) was used to develop CRISPR-SIBA, a multifaceted diagnostic platform. SIBA was employed as the isothermal pre-amplification platform. CRISPR-Cas12a based collateral trans-cleavage reaction was used to ensure and enhance the specificity of the system. Efficiency of the detection system was evaluated by detecting Bacillus anthracis Sterne in complex wastewater sample backgrounds. Pr...
Source: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules - February 20, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Abhinandan Patnaik Sharad Kumar Rai Ram Kumar Dhaked Source Type: research

Efficacy of therapeutically administered gepotidacin in a rabbit model of inhalational anthrax
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2024 Feb 15:e0149723. doi: 10.1128/aac.01497-23. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBacillus anthracis is a Gram-positive Centers for Disease Control and Prevention category "A" biothreat pathogen. Without early treatment, inhalation of anthrax spores with progression to inhalational anthrax disease is associated with high fatality rates. Gepotidacin is a novel first-in-class triazaacenaphthylene antibiotic that inhibits bacterial DNA replication by a distinct mechanism of action and is being evaluated for use against biothreat and conventional pathogens. Gepotidacin selectively inhibits bacterial D...
Source: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy - February 15, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Jamese J Hilliard Charles Jakielaszek Frank Mannino Mohammad Hossain Lian Qian Cindy Fishman Samandra Demons Jeremy Hershfield Carl Soffler Riccardo Russo Lisa Henning Joseph Novak Karen O'Dwyer Source Type: research

Efficacy of therapeutically administered gepotidacin in a rabbit model of inhalational anthrax
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2024 Feb 15:e0149723. doi: 10.1128/aac.01497-23. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBacillus anthracis is a Gram-positive Centers for Disease Control and Prevention category "A" biothreat pathogen. Without early treatment, inhalation of anthrax spores with progression to inhalational anthrax disease is associated with high fatality rates. Gepotidacin is a novel first-in-class triazaacenaphthylene antibiotic that inhibits bacterial DNA replication by a distinct mechanism of action and is being evaluated for use against biothreat and conventional pathogens. Gepotidacin selectively inhibits bacterial D...
Source: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy - February 15, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Jamese J Hilliard Charles Jakielaszek Frank Mannino Mohammad Hossain Lian Qian Cindy Fishman Samandra Demons Jeremy Hershfield Carl Soffler Riccardo Russo Lisa Henning Joseph Novak Karen O'Dwyer Source Type: research

Environmental Relationships and Anthrax Epidemiology: Field Experiences of Host Resistance as Opposed to Dose-Dependent Experiments
This article concentrates on the arguments for host resistance. Host resistance is virtually impossible to measure objectively in the field. To provide a subjective measure of host resistance during anthrax outbreaks, we suggest the use of the opinions of livestock owners and or their veterinary practitioners and or field workers during investigations of anthrax outbreaks. When veterinary personal work in the field they are much like field biologists. In some ways field biologists better appreciate environmental factors, population ecology and other perspectives that are of use to epidemiologists. The more diverse the info...
Source: Acta Tropica - February 3, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Robert S Gainer Martin E Hugh-Jones Domenico Galante Source Type: research

Combatting anthrax outbreaks across Nigeria ’s national land borders: need to optimize surveillance with epidemiological surveys
ConclusionClosing these knowledge gaps on anthrax is not only essential for safeguarding both animal and human health but also for fostering sustainable and resilient communities. Addressing research questions on these interdisciplinary concerns will undoubtedly pave the way for informed decision-making, proactive measures, and a more secure future for Nigeria and its border regions.Graphical Abstract (Source: Infectious Diseases of Poverty)
Source: Infectious Diseases of Poverty - February 1, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research

Enhanced Sensitivity of SPR-Based Biosensor for Waterborne Pathogen Monitoring: A Numerical Analysis
AbstractThis numerical study proposes a novel surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based biosensor for sensitively detecting waterborne pathogens. The performance of the biosensor is improved by a multi-layered sensor structure that includes layers of BK7, silver, platinum (Pt), zinc oxide (ZnO), and lithium fluoride (LiF). Different target analytes were chosen, likeVibrio cholerae,Bacillus anthracis,E. coli, andEnterococcus faecalis cells. For theEnterococcus faecalis cell with a refractive index (RI) of 1.3921, the proposed biosensor observed the highest sensitivity of 269.512 degree per RI unit (deg/RIU). A figure of merit (...
Source: Plasmonics - February 1, 2024 Category: Biomedical Science Source Type: research

Outbreak of anthrax in livestock with human occupational exposures – Minnesota, 2023
. (Source: Journal of Agromedicine)
Source: Journal of Agromedicine - January 24, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Kelly Elizabeth SchenkK. CornilleJ. CaterA. R. VieiraS. HolzbauerM. ByeJ. Scheftela Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists Applied Epidemiology Fellowship, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN, USAb Minnesota Department of Health, Zoono Source Type: research

A promising snakebite treatment seemed ready for prime time. Then, it backfired
A single bite from the terciopelo ( Bothrops asper ), a viper that lives in Central America and northern South America, is responsible for hundreds of fatalities each year. Many more are maimed by the venom’s muscle-destroying toxins, as existing treatments are largely ineffective at preventing tissue death. Now, researchers report that a once-promising new drug, an antibody that counteracts a pernicious toxin in the viper’s venom, has failed in animal trials. But the way that it failed—worsening the toxin’s damage in mice and eventually killing the animals instead of protecting them—may reveal new...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - January 16, 2024 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research

Molecular characterization of an outbreak-involved Bacillus anthracis strain confirms the spillover of anthrax from West Africa
ConclusionsWe successfully identified a large-scale anthrax outbreak in Sierra Leone. The causative isolate ofB. anthracis, BaSL2022, phylogenetically bridged other lineages in A.Br.153 clade and neighboring genetic groups, A.Br.144 and A.Br.148, eventually confirming the spillover of anthrax from West Africa. Given the wide dissemination ofB. anthracis spores, it is highly advisable to effectively monitor the potential reoccurrence of anthrax outbreaks and to launch campaigns to improve public awareness regarding anthrax in Sierra Leone.Graphical Abstract (Source: Infectious Diseases of Poverty)
Source: Infectious Diseases of Poverty - January 15, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research

New bacteriophage-derived lysins, LysJ and LysF, with the potential to control Bacillus anthracis
AbstractBacillus anthracis is an etiological agent of anthrax, a severe zoonotic disease that can be transmitted to people and cause high mortalities. Bacteriophages and their lytic enzymes, endolysins, have potential therapeutic value in treating infections caused by this bacterium as alternatives or complements to antibiotic therapy. They can also be used to identify and detectB. anthracis. Endolysins of twoB. anthracis Wbetavirus phages, J5a and F16Ba which were described by us recently, differ significantly from the best-knownB. anthracis phage endolysin PlyG fromWbetavirus genus bacteriophage Gamma and a few otherWbet...
Source: European Journal of Applied Physiology - January 11, 2024 Category: Physiology Source Type: research

New bacteriophage-derived lysins, LysJ and LysF, with the potential to control Bacillus anthracis
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Dec;108(1):1-14. doi: 10.1007/s00253-023-12839-z. Epub 2024 Jan 9.ABSTRACTBacillus anthracis is an etiological agent of anthrax, a severe zoonotic disease that can be transmitted to people and cause high mortalities. Bacteriophages and their lytic enzymes, endolysins, have potential therapeutic value in treating infections caused by this bacterium as alternatives or complements to antibiotic therapy. They can also be used to identify and detect B. anthracis. Endolysins of two B. anthracis Wbetavirus phages, J5a and F16Ba which were described by us recently, differ significantly from the best...
Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - January 9, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Aleksandra Nakonieczna Agnieszka Topolska-Wo ś Ma łgorzata Łobocka Source Type: research