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American Family Physician Oct 2021Bioterrorism is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, toxins, or fungi with the goal of causing panic, mass casualties, or severe economic disruption. From 1981... (Review)
Review
Bioterrorism is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, toxins, or fungi with the goal of causing panic, mass casualties, or severe economic disruption. From 1981 to 2018, there were 37 bioterrorist attacks worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists anthrax, botulism, plague, smallpox, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers as category A agents that are the greatest risk to national security. An emerging infectious disease (e.g., novel respiratory virus) may also be used as a biological agent. Clinicians may be the first to recognize a bioterrorism-related illness by noting an unusual presentation, location, timing, or severity of disease. Public health authorities should be notified when a biological agent is recognized or suspected. Treatment includes proper isolation and administration of antimicrobial or antitoxin agents in consultation with regional medical authorities and the CDC. Vaccinations for biological agents are not routinely administered except for smallpox, anthrax, and Ebola disease for people at high risk of exposure. The American Academy of Family Physicians, the CDC, and other organizations provide bioterrorism training and response resources for clinicians and communities. Clinicians should be aware of bioterrorism resources.
Topics: Biological Warfare Agents; Bioterrorism; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; Humans; United States; Vaccines
PubMed: 34652097
DOI: No ID Found -
Best Practice & Research. Clinical... Oct 2021Vaccination during pregnancy is important for active immunity of the mother against serious infectious diseases, and also for passive immunity of the neonate to... (Review)
Review
Vaccination during pregnancy is important for active immunity of the mother against serious infectious diseases, and also for passive immunity of the neonate to infectious diseases with high morbidity and mortality. As a rule, live vaccines are contraindicated during pregnancy as they may cause fetal viremia/bacteremia. Inactivated vaccines are generally safe. Vaccines safe to be administered to all pregnant ladies are tetanus toxoid (TT; tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) and Flu vaccines. During pre-pregnancy counselling, vaccination for MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) should be offered, with an advice to avoid pregnancy for a month. All pregnant mothers should receive TT and Tdap vaccination during the third trimester. Flu vaccine can be given to all mothers at any gestation, and if not offered during pregnancy, it can be given postpartum. Vaccinations that should be offered to women if at high risk of exposure are for hepatitis A and B, pneumococcal, meningococcal, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis (JE), polio, typhoid, and cholera infections. Vaccines to be given only for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are smallpox, rabies, and anthrax. Postpartum women should be offered human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. If not immunized earlier, they should be offered MMR, Tdap, and Flu vaccines. Future vaccines being developed are for malaria, Zika virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), group B streptococcus, CMV, and COVID-19 (SARS-Cov-2).
Topics: COVID-19; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination; Vaccines; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 33773923
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2021.02.002 -
Microbiology Spectrum May 2019The group includes several species with closely related phylogeny. The most well-studied members of the group, , , and , are known for their pathogenic potential.... (Review)
Review
The group includes several species with closely related phylogeny. The most well-studied members of the group, , , and , are known for their pathogenic potential. Here, we present the historical rationale for speciation and discuss shared and unique features of these bacteria. Aspects of cell morphology and physiology, and genome sequence similarity and gene synteny support close evolutionary relationships for these three species. For many strains, distinct differences in virulence factor synthesis provide facile means for species assignment. is the causative agent of anthrax. Some strains are commonly recognized as food poisoning agents, but strains can also cause localized wound and eye infections as well as systemic disease. Certain strains are entomopathogens and have been commercialized for use as biopesticides, while some strains have been reported to cause infection in immunocompromised individuals. In this article we compare and contrast , , and , including ecology, cell structure and development, virulence attributes, gene regulation and genetic exchange systems, and experimental models of disease.
Topics: Animals; Anthrax; Anthrax Vaccines; Bacillus; Bacillus anthracis; Bacillus cereus; Bacillus thuringiensis; Bacterial Toxins; Bacterial Vaccines; Biological Control Agents; DNA, Bacterial; Disease Models, Animal; Ecology; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial; Genome, Bacterial; Humans; Infections; Invertebrates; Phylogeny; Species Specificity; Spores, Bacterial; Virulence
PubMed: 31111815
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.GPP3-0032-2018 -
Biomolecules Apr 2022Louis Pasteur is the most internationally known French scientist. He discovered molecular chirality, and he contributed to the understanding of the process of... (Review)
Review
Louis Pasteur is the most internationally known French scientist. He discovered molecular chirality, and he contributed to the understanding of the process of fermentation, helping brewers and winemakers to improve their beverages. He proposed a process, known as pasteurization, for the sterilization of wines. He established the germ theory of infectious diseases that allowed Joseph Lister to develop his antiseptic practice in surgery. He solved the problem of silkworm disease, although he had refuted the idea of Antoine Béchamp, who first considered it was a microbial infection. He created four vaccines (fowl cholera, anthrax, pig erysipelas, and rabies) in the paths of his precursors, Henri Toussaint (anthrax vaccine) and Pierre Victor Galtier (rabies vaccine). He generalized the word "vaccination" coined by Richard Dunning, Edward Jenner's friend. Robert Koch, his most famous opponent, pointed out the great ambiguity of Pasteur's approach to preparing his vaccines. Analysis of his laboratory notebooks has allowed historians to discern the differences between the legend built by his hagiographers and reality. In this review, we revisit his career, his undeniable achievements, and tell the truth about a hero who made every effort to build his own fame.
Topics: Animals; Fermentation; Swine; Vaccination; Vaccines; Wine
PubMed: 35454184
DOI: 10.3390/biom12040596 -
JAAD Case Reports Sep 2020
PubMed: 32875038
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdcr.2020.06.035 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2016Vaccinating pregnant women in order to protect them, the fetus, and the child has become universal in no way at all. Prejudice in health professionals add to fears of... (Review)
Review
Vaccinating pregnant women in order to protect them, the fetus, and the child has become universal in no way at all. Prejudice in health professionals add to fears of women and their families. Both these feelings are not supported by even the smallest scientific data. Harmlessness for the mother and the child has been observed for seasonal, pandemic, or quadrivalent influenza, mono, combined polysaccharide or conjugated meningococcal or pneumococcal, tetanus toxoid, acellular pertussis, human papillomavirus, cholera, hepatitis A, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, anthrax, smallpox, yellow fever, mumps, measles and rubella combined, typhoid fever, inactivated or attenuated polio vaccines, and Bacillus Calmétte Guerin vaccines. Instead, the beneficial effects of influenza vaccine for the mother and the child as well as of pertussis vaccine for the child have been demonstrated. Obstetrician-gynecologists, general practitioners, and midwives must incorporate vaccination into their standard clinical care. Strong communication strategies effective at reducing parental vaccine hesitancy and approval of regulatory agencies for use of vaccines during pregnancy are needed. It must be clear that the lack of pre-licensure studies in pregnant women and, consequently, the lack of a statement about the use of the vaccine in pregnant women does not preclude its use in pregnancy.
Topics: Female; Health Services Needs and Demand; Humans; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Pregnancy; Taboo; Vaccination; Vaccines
PubMed: 27338346
DOI: 10.3390/ijms17060894 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) May 2020has been identified as a potential military and bioterror agent as it is relatively simple to produce, with spores that are highly resilient to degradation in the... (Review)
Review
has been identified as a potential military and bioterror agent as it is relatively simple to produce, with spores that are highly resilient to degradation in the environment and easily dispersed. These characteristics are important in describing how anthrax could be used as a weapon, but they are also important in understanding and determining appropriate prevention and treatment of anthrax disease. Today, anthrax disease is primarily enzootic and found mostly in the developing world, where it is still associated with considerable mortality and morbidity in humans and livestock. This review article describes the spectrum of disease caused by anthrax and the various prevention and treatment options. Specifically we discuss the following; (1) clinical manifestations of anthrax disease (cutaneous, gastrointestinal, inhalational and intravenous-associated); (2) immunology of the disease; (3) an overview of animal models used in research; (4) the current World Health Organization and U.S. Government guidelines for investigation, management, and prophylaxis; (5) unique regulatory approaches to licensure and approval of anthrax medical countermeasures; (6) the history of vaccination and pre-exposure prophylaxis; (7) post-exposure prophylaxis and disease management; (8) treatment of symptomatic disease through the use of antibiotics and hyperimmune or monoclonal antibody-based antitoxin therapies; and (9) the current landscape of next-generation product candidates under development.
PubMed: 32408493
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9050370 -
Cureus Mar 2023In this paper, we reveal the anthrax weaponization in the Soviet Union and its impact on biowarfare research, technology, and public health that resulted in the... (Review)
Review
In this paper, we reveal the anthrax weaponization in the Soviet Union and its impact on biowarfare research, technology, and public health that resulted in the development of the first Soviet Anthrax vaccine and the subsequent vaccination of animals and humans en masse. We assume that there are cases that a biowarfare technology was incorporated into the civilian industry and benefited public health. However, the legacy of bioweapons today still poses an asymmetric threat to public health and safety.
PubMed: 37123719
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.36800