Widespread uncontrolled use of antibiotics to prevent anthrax will lead to resistanceOctober 31, 2001Giving antibiotics to large numbers of potentially exposed individuals to prevent anthrax will lead to resistance, according to researchers from Liverpool in this week's BMJ. As such, it is essential that they are used carefully and according to national guidelines. Although generally safe, the antimicrobial drug ciprofloxacin, which has been purchased in large amounts by the US and several other national governments, is associated with tendon ruptures and neuropsychiatric disorders, and in most countries it is not licensed for use in pregnancy or children, say the authors. Furthermore, it's value has already been compromised by the development of resistance following over-use. We cannot exclude the possibility of the development of resistance in the anthrax bacterium, they write. "The important thing is to ensure that prophylaxis is given only to those who really need it and discourage mass usage by an understandably alarmed public. To induce antimicrobial resistance on a mass scale would be an even greater triumph for the terrorists, they conclude." British Medical Journal (BMJ) |
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| Related Anthrax Current Events and Anthrax News Articles Milestone biodefense publication by Elsevier journal Vaccine Last week during the 'Vaccines for Biothreats and Emerging and Neglected Diseases Symposium' in Galveston TX, USA, the Elsevier journal Vaccine released a supplement dedicated to vaccines for biodefense. Cigarettes Harbor Many Bacteria Harmful to Human Health Cigarettes are "widely contaminated" with bacteria, including some known to cause disease in people, concludes a new international study conducted by a University of Maryland environmental health researcher and microbial ecologists at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France. New explanation for nature's hardiest life form Got food poisoning? The cause might be bacterial spores, en extremely hardy survival form of bacteria, a nightmare for health care and the food industry and an enigma for scientists. Better immune defense against anthrax Scientists discover a gene in anthrax-causing bacteria may help defend against this form of bio-warfare. Argonne researchers develop method that aims to stabilize antibodies Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have developed a systematic method to improve the stability of antibodies. Early detection and quick response are key to defense against anthrax attack A large attack on a major metropolitan area with airborne anthrax could affect more than a million people, necessitating their treatment with powerful antibiotics. Data published in the New England Journal of Medicine support use of raxibacumab (ABthrax) for the treatment of inhalation anthrax Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) today announced publication by the New England Journal of Medicine of the results of two pivotal animal efficacy studies, which showed the life-saving potential of the Company's human monoclonal antibody drug raxibacumab. One secret to how TB sticks with you Mycobacterium tuberculosis is arguably the world's most successful infectious agent because it knows how to avoid elimination by slowing its own growth to a crawl. Unexpected discovery can open a new chapter in the fight against tuberculosis A close relative of the microorganism that causes tuberculosis in humans has been found to form spores. Genetic switch potential key to new class of antibiotics Researchers have determined the structure of a key genetic mechanism at work in bacteria, including some that are deadly to humans, in an important step toward the design of a new class of antibiotics. More Anthrax Current Events and Anthrax News Articles |
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