Bacillus anthracis as a biological warfare agent: infection, diagnosis and countermeasures

Abstract

Bacillus anthracis is a causative agent of zoonotic anthrax disease. In the last years, signifi cant progress in therapy and diagnosis of anthrax was made. Concurrently, knowledge about anthrax progression, molecular pathology and release of anthrax toxin during the disease has improved. This review covers the recent progress in this fi eld. METHODS: In this review, specifi cations of B. anthracis, anthrax disease, medical and biomedical countermeasures and diagnostic tools were surveyed. The actual literature was summarized and relevance of the microorganism as a biological warfare agent and the ways how to reduce its impact including therapeutic protocols were written and discussed. RESULTS: Currently, the microorganism is considered one of the top biological warfare agents due to lethality, long term stability of spores, easy dissemination and production. The recent research is focused on countermeasures suitable for reduction of consequences by a misuse of the microorganism in form of biological weapon (Tab.

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