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Curran EH, Devine MD, Hartley CD, Huang Y, Conrady CD, Debiec MR, Justin GA, Thomas J, Yeh S. Ophthalmic implications of biological threat agents according to the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives framework. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 10:1349571. [PMID: 38293299 PMCID: PMC10824978 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1349571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
As technology continues to evolve, the possibility for a wide range of dangers to people, organizations, and countries escalate globally. The United States federal government classifies types of threats with the capability of inflicting mass casualties and societal disruption as Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Energetics/Explosives (CBRNE). Such incidents encompass accidental and intentional events ranging from weapons of mass destruction and bioterrorism to fires or spills involving hazardous or radiologic material. All of these have the capacity to inflict death or severe physical, neurological, and/or sensorial disabilities if injuries are not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Ophthalmic injury can provide important insight into understanding and treating patients impacted by CBRNE agents; however, improper ophthalmic management can result in suboptimal patient outcomes. This review specifically addresses the biological agents the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deems to have the greatest capacity for bioterrorism. CBRNE biological agents, encompassing pathogens and organic toxins, are further subdivided into categories A, B, and C according to their national security threat level. In our compendium of these biological agents, we address their respective CDC category, systemic and ophthalmic manifestations, route of transmission and personal protective equipment considerations as well as pertinent vaccination and treatment guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma H. Curran
- Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Max D. Devine
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Caleb D. Hartley
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Ye Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Christopher D. Conrady
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Pathology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Matthew R. Debiec
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Grant A. Justin
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Joanne Thomas
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Steven Yeh
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
- Global Center for Health Security, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
- National Strategic Research Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
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Thompson JM, Cook R, Person MK, Negrón ME, Traxler RM, Bower WA, Hendricks K. Risk Factors for Death or Meningitis in Adults Hospitalized for Cutaneous Anthrax, 1950-2018: A Systematic Review. Clin Infect Dis 2022; 75:S459-S467. [PMID: 36251551 PMCID: PMC9649426 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cutaneous anthrax accounts for approximately 95% of anthrax cases worldwide. About 24% of untreated patients die, and many cases are complicated by meningitis. Here, we explore clinical features of cutaneous disease associated with poor outcomes. METHODS A systematic review identified 303 full-text articles published from 1950 through 2018 that met predefined inclusion criteria. Cases were abstracted, and descriptive analyses and univariate logistic regression were conducted to identify prognostic indicators for cutaneous anthrax. RESULTS Of 182 included patients, 47 (25.8%) died. Previously reported independent predictors for death or meningitis that we confirmed included fever or chills; nausea or vomiting; headache; severe headache; nonheadache, nonmeningeal signs; leukocytosis; and bacteremia. Newly identified predictors included anxiety, abdominal pain, diastolic hypotension, skin trauma, thoracic edema, malignant pustule edema, lymphadenopathy, and evidence of coagulopathy (all with P < .05). CONCLUSIONS We identified patient presentations not previously associated with poor outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Thompson
- Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA
| | - Rachel Cook
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, CDC Fellowship Program, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA
| | - Marissa K Person
- Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA
| | - María E Negrón
- Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA
| | - Rita M Traxler
- Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA
| | - William A Bower
- Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA
| | - Katherine Hendricks
- Correspondence: K. Hendricks, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, H24-12, Atlanta, GA 30329-4027 ()
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Hendricks K, Person MK, Bradley JS, Mongkolrattanothai T, Hupert N, Eichacker P, Friedlander AM, Bower WA. Clinical Features of Patients Hospitalized for All Routes of Anthrax, 1880-2018: A Systematic Review. Clin Infect Dis 2022; 75:S341-S353. [PMID: 36251560 PMCID: PMC9649428 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthrax is a toxin-mediated zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, with a worldwide distribution recognized for millennia. Bacillus anthracis is considered a potential biowarfare agent. METHODS We completed a systematic review for clinical and demographic characteristics of adults and children hospitalized with anthrax (cutaneous, inhalation, ingestion, injection [from contaminated heroin], primary meningitis) abstracted from published case reports, case series, and line lists in English from 1880 through 2018, assessing treatment impact by type and severity of disease. We analyzed geographic distribution, route of infection, exposure to anthrax, and incubation period. RESULTS Data on 764 adults and 167 children were reviewed. Most cases reported for 1880 through 1915 were from Europe; those for 1916 through 1950 were from North America; and from 1951 on, cases were from Asia. Cutaneous was the most common form of anthrax for all populations. Since 1960, adult anthrax mortality has ranged from 31% for cutaneous to 90% for primary meningitis. Median incubation periods ranged from 1 day (interquartile range [IQR], 0-4) for injection to 7 days (IQR, 4-9) for inhalation anthrax. Most patients with inhalation anthrax developed pleural effusions and more than half with ingestion anthrax developed ascites. Treatment and critical care advances have improved survival for those with systemic symptoms, from approximately 30% in those untreated to approximately 70% in those receiving antimicrobials or antiserum/antitoxin. CONCLUSIONS This review provides an improved evidence base for both clinical care of individual anthrax patients and public health planning for wide-area aerosol releases of B. anthracis spores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Hendricks
- Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Marissa K Person
- Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - John S Bradley
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego and the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Thitipong Mongkolrattanothai
- Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, CDC Fellowship Program, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Nathaniel Hupert
- Departments of Population Health Sciences and of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA
| | - Peter Eichacker
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Arthur M Friedlander
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, USA,Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - William A Bower
- Correspondence: W. A. Bower, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, NE, MS H24-12, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA ()
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Clayton NP, Jain A, Halasohoris SA, Pysz LM, Lembirik S, Zumbrun SD, Kane CD, Hackett MJ, Pfefferle D, Smiley MA, Anderson MS, Heine H, Meister GT, Pucci MJ. In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization of Tebipenem (TBP), an Orally Active Carbapenem, against Biothreat Pathogens. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:AAC.02385-20. [PMID: 33593844 PMCID: PMC8092902 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02385-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus anthracis and Yersinia pestis, causative pathogens for anthrax and plague, respectively, along with Burkholderia mallei and B. pseudomallei are potential bioterrorism threats. Tebipenem pivoxil hydrobromide (TBP HBr, formerly SPR994), is an orally available prodrug of tebipenem, a carbapenem with activity versus multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative pathogens, including quinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales. We evaluated the in vitro activity and in vivo efficacy of tebipenem against biothreat pathogens. Tebipenem was active in vitro against 30-strain diversity sets of B. anthracis, Y. pestis, B. mallei, and B. pseudomallei with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.001 - 0.008 μg/ml for B. anthracis, ≤0.0005 - 0.03 μg/ml for Y. pestis, 0.25 - 1 μg/ml for B. mallei, and 1 - 4 μg/ml for B. pseudomallei In a B. anthracis murine model, all control animals died within 52 h post challenge. The survival rates in the groups treated with tebipenem were 75% and 73% when dosed at 12 h and 24 h post challenge, respectively. The survival rates in the positive control groups treated with ciprofloxacin were 75% and when dosed 12 h and 25% when dosed 24 h post challenge, respectively. Survival rates were significantly (p=0.0009) greater in tebipenem groups treated at 12 h and 24 h post challenge and in the ciprofloxacin group 12 h post-challenge vs. the vehicle-control group. For Y. pestis, survival rates for all animals in the tebipenem and ciprofloxacin groups were significantly (p<0.0001) greater than the vehicle-control group. These results support further development of tebipenem for treating biothreat pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lisa M Pysz
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD
| | - Sanae Lembirik
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD
| | - Steven D Zumbrun
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD
| | - Christopher D Kane
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD
| | | | | | | | | | - Henry Heine
- Institute for Therapeutic Innovation, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Orlando, FL
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Abstract
The continuous evolvement of bacterial resistance to most, if not all, available antibiotics is a worldwide problem. These strains, frequently isolated from military-associated environments, have created an urgent need to develop supplementary anti-infective modalities. One of the leading directions is phage therapy, which includes the administration of bacteriophages, viruses that specifically target bacteria, as biotherapies. Although neglected in the West until recent years, bacteriophages have been widely studied and clinically administered in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe for over a century, where they were found to be incredibly efficient at battling numerous infectious diseases.In this review, we discuss the high potential of phage therapy as a solution for resistant bacterial infectious diseases relating to military medicine. By describing the historical development and knowledge acquired on phage therapy, we define the advantages of bacteriophages for combating resistant bacteria in multiple settings, such as trauma injuries and foodborne illnesses, as a preventive tool and therapy against biological warfare agents, and more. We also present the most recent successful clinical applications of bacteriophages in military settings worldwide.We believe that augmenting military medicine by integrating phage therapy is an important and required step in preparedness for the rapidly approaching post-antibiotic era.
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Chugh T. Bioterrorism: Clinical and public health aspects of anthrax. CURRENT MEDICINE RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2019; 9:110-111. [PMID: 32289055 PMCID: PMC7147222 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmrp.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Bioterrorism is intentional use of bioweapons (bacteria, viruses, or fungi or their toxins) to harm people, animals, agriculture, or environment of a country. Its impact can cause high mortality and morbidity and serious disruption of economy and social and political life. Countries must be fully equipped to respond through adequate surveillance systems and management, containment, and preventive policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tulsi Chugh
- D-702, Som Vihar Appartments, RK Puram, New Delhi, 110022, India
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Hupert N, Person M, Hanfling D, Traxler RM, Bower WA, Hendricks K. Development and Performance of a Checklist for Initial Triage After an Anthrax Mass Exposure Event. Ann Intern Med 2019; 170:521-530. [PMID: 30884525 DOI: 10.7326/m18-1817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Population exposure to Bacillus anthracis spores could cause mass casualties requiring complex medical care. Rapid identification of patients needing anthrax-specific therapies will improve patient outcomes and resource use. OBJECTIVE To develop a checklist that rapidly distinguishes most anthrax from nonanthrax illnesses on the basis of clinical presentation and identifies patients requiring diagnostic testing after a population exposure. DESIGN Comparison of published anthrax case reports from 1880 through 2013 that included patients seeking anthrax-related care at 2 epicenters of the 2001 U.S. anthrax attacks. SETTING Outpatient and inpatient. PATIENTS 408 case patients with inhalation, ingestion, and cutaneous anthrax and primary anthrax meningitis, and 657 control patients. MEASUREMENTS Diagnostic test characteristics, including positive and negative likelihood ratios (LRs) and patient triage assignation. RESULTS Checklist-directed triage without diagnostic testing correctly classified 95% (95% CI, 93% to 97%) of 353 adult anthrax case patients and 76% (CI, 73% to 79%) of 647 control patients (positive LR, 3.96 [CI, 3.45 to 4.55]; negative LR, 0.07 [CI, 0.04 to 0.11]; false-negative rate, 5%; false-positive rate, 24%). Diagnostic testing was needed for triage in up to 5% of case patients and 15% of control patients and improved overall test characteristics (positive LR, 8.90 [CI, 7.05 to 11.24]; negative LR, 0.06 [CI, 0.04 to 0.09]; false-negative rate, 5%; false-positive rate, 11%). Checklist sensitivity and specificity were minimally affected by inclusion of pediatric patients. Sensitivity increased to 97% (CI, 94% to 100%) and 98% (CI, 96% to 100%), respectively, when only inhalation anthrax cases or higher-quality case reports were investigated. LIMITATIONS Data on case patients were limited to nonstandardized, published observational reports, many of which lacked complete data on symptoms and signs of interest. Reporting bias favoring more severe cases and lack of intercurrent outbreaks (such as influenza) in the control populations may have improved test characteristics. CONCLUSION A brief checklist covering symptoms and signs can distinguish anthrax from other conditions with minimal need for diagnostic testing after known or suspected population exposure. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel Hupert
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, and Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York (N.H.)
| | - Marissa Person
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia (M.P., R.M.T., W.A.B., K.H.)
| | - Dan Hanfling
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, George Washington University, Washington, DC, and Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia (D.H.)
| | - Rita M Traxler
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia (M.P., R.M.T., W.A.B., K.H.)
| | - William A Bower
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia (M.P., R.M.T., W.A.B., K.H.)
| | - Katherine Hendricks
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia (M.P., R.M.T., W.A.B., K.H.)
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9
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Caldwell M, Hathcock T, Brock KV. Passive protection against anthrax in mice with plasma derived from horses hyper-immunized against Bacillus anthracis Sterne strain. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3907. [PMID: 29259839 PMCID: PMC5733894 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, equine source polyclonal anti-Bacillus anthracis immunoglobulins were generated and utilized to demonstrate passive protection of mice in a lethal challenge assay. Four horses were hyper-immunized with B. anthracis Sterne strain for approximately one year. The geometric mean anti-PA titer in the horses at maximal response following immunization was 1:77,936 (Log2 mean titer 16.25, SEM ± 0.25 95% CI [15.5 -17.0]). The geometric mean neutralizing titer at maximal response was 1:128 (Log2 mean titer 7, SEM ± 0.0, 95% CI 7). Treatment with hyper-immune plasma or purified immunoglobulins was successful in passively protecting A/J mice from a lethal B. anthracis Sterne strain challenge. The treatment of mice with hyper-immune plasma at time 0 h and 24 h post-infection had no effect on survival, but did significantly increase mean time to death (p < 0.0001). Mice treated with purified immunoglobulins at time 0 h and 24 h post-infection in showed significant increase in survival rate (p < 0.001). Bacterial loads in lung, liver and spleen tissue were also assessed and were not significantly different in mice treated with hyper-immune plasma from placebo treated control mice. Mice treated with purified antibodies demonstrated mean colony forming units/gram tissue fourfold less than mice receiving placebo treatment (p < 0.0001). Immunotherapeutics harvested from horses immunized against B. anthracis Sterne strain represent a rapidly induced, inexpensive and effective expansion to the arsenal of treatments against anthrax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Caldwell
- Department of Pathobiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Terri Hathcock
- Department of Pathobiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Kenny V. Brock
- Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
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Peksa GD, Robbins MJ, Beyer AR, Weber EK, Johnson K. A Calculation Tool and Process to Pre-Position Pharmaceuticals for Anthrax Post-Exposure Prophylaxis. Health Secur 2017; 15:569-574. [PMID: 29135306 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2017.0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthrax, caused by Bacillus anthracis, is considered a severe bioterrorism threat because of its high mortality rate. The Chicago Healthcare System Coalition for Preparedness and Response (CHSCPR) aims to pre-position antibiotic medical countermeasures (MCMs) at healthcare facilities in order to provide on-site anthrax post-exposure prophylaxis. Pharmacists proposed moving toward a new process that involved the development of a standardized calculation methodology for acquiring supply drugs. This was an interventional quality improvement project aimed at optimizing inventory, acquisition, and distribution of antibiotic MCMs for anthrax post-exposure prophylaxis at Chicago hospitals for hospital personnel, associated first responders, and their families. The primary goal of the project was to pre-position a sufficient quantity of pharmaceuticals to allow Chicago hospitals to function as closed points of dispensing (PODs) for 72 hours; a secondary goal was to provide a 96-hour supply of anthrax post-exposure prophylaxis. A total of 35 Chicago hospitals were invited to participate in this intervention study, and 30 hospitals agreed to participate. Based on our calculation tool, we initially identified 6 (20%) hospitals with adequate oral doxycycline and ciprofloxacin inventory to last 72 hours and 3 (10%) hospitals with inventory to last 96 hours as a closed POD for anthrax post-exposure prophylaxis. The necessary quantities of medication needed to establish 72 and 96 hours of anthrax post-exposure prophylaxis were calculated by the CHSCPR and negotiated with a drug wholesaler to obtain product with maximum shelf-life and discounted pricing. Acting as a group purchaser, the CHSCPR organized drop shipment of medication directly to facilities from a wholesaler. This systematically calculated, pre-deployed pharmaceutical cache enhanced availability of antibiotic MCMs for anthrax post-exposure prophylaxis in 30 Chicago hospitals, allowing them to function as closed PODs for 96 hours during an incident.
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Sittner A, Bar-David E, Glinert I, Ben-Shmuel A, Weiss S, Schlomovitz J, Kobiler D, Levy H. Pathology of wild-type and toxin-independent Bacillus anthracis meningitis in rabbits. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186613. [PMID: 29088287 PMCID: PMC5663420 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemorrhagic meningitis is considered a complication of anthrax and was reported in about 50% of deadly cases in humans and non-human primates (NHP). Recently we demonstrated in Guinea pigs and rabbits that 100% of the B. anthracis-infected animals presented histopathology of meningitis at the time of death, some without any sign of hemorrhage. A similar pathology was observed in animals that succumbed following infection with the toxin deficient mutant, thus indicating that anthrax meningitis is a toxin-independent phenomenon. In this manuscript we describe a histopathological study of the B. anthracis infection of the central nervous system (CNS). Though we could find sporadic growth of the bacteria around blood vessels in the cortex, we report that the main infiltration route is the choroid plexus. We found massive destruction of entire sections of the choroid plexus coupled with massive aggregation of bacilli in the ventricles, in close proximity to the parenchyma. The choroid plexus also contained significant amounts of intravascular bacterial aggregates, often enclosed in what appear to be fibrin-like clots. The high concentration of these aggregates in areas of significant tissue destruction combined with the fact that capsular B. anthracis bacteria have a low tendency to adhere to endothelial cells, might suggest that these clots are used as an adherence mechanism by the bacteria. The major histopathological finding is meningitis. We find massive bacterial growth in the meninges without evidence of encephalitis, even when the bacteria emerge from a parenchymal blood vessel. Erythrocytes were present within the meningeal space but no clear vasculitis could be detected. Histology of the brain stem indicates meningitis, edema and hemorrhages that might explain death from suffocation due to direct damage to the respiratory center. All of these processes are toxin-independent, since they were observed following infection with either the wild type strain or the toxin-deficient mutant. Herein, we propose that the first step of anthrax-meningitis is bacterial adhesion to the blood vessels by manipulating coagulation, mainly in the choroid plexus. The trapped bacteria then destroy sections of the choroid plexus, resulting in penetration into the CSF, leading to meningitis and hemorrhage. Death could be the result of increased intracranial pressure and/or damage to the brain stem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assa Sittner
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Elad Bar-David
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Itai Glinert
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Amir Ben-Shmuel
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Shay Weiss
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Josef Schlomovitz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - David Kobiler
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Haim Levy
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
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Grossman TH, Anderson MS, Drabek L, Gooldy M, Heine HS, Henning LN, Lin W, Newman JV, Nevarez R, Siefkas-Patterson K, Radcliff AK, Sutcliffe JA. The Fluorocycline TP-271 Is Efficacious in Models of Aerosolized Bacillus anthracis Infection in BALB/c Mice and Cynomolgus Macaques. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2017; 61:e01103-17. [PMID: 28784679 PMCID: PMC5610513 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01103-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The fluorocycline TP-271 was evaluated in mouse and nonhuman primate (NHP) models of inhalational anthrax. BALB/c mice were exposed by nose-only aerosol to Bacillus anthracis Ames spores at a level of 18 to 88 lethal doses sufficient to kill 50% of exposed individuals (LD50). When 21 days of once-daily dosing was initiated at 24 h postchallenge (the postexposure prophylaxis [PEP] study), the rates of survival for the groups treated with TP-271 at 3, 6, 12, and 18 mg/kg of body weight were 90%, 95%, 95%, and 84%, respectively. When 21 days of dosing was initiated at 48 h postchallenge (the treatment [Tx] study), the rates of survival for the groups treated with TP-271 at 6, 12, and 18 mg/kg TP-271 were 100%, 91%, and 81%, respectively. No deaths of TP-271-treated mice occurred during the 39-day posttreatment observation period. In the NHP model, cynomolgus macaques received an average dose of 197 LD50 of B. anthracis Ames spore equivalents using a head-only inhalation exposure chamber, and once-daily treatment of 1 mg/kg TP-271 lasting for 14 or 21 days was initiated within 3 h of detection of protective antigen (PA) in the blood. No (0/8) animals in the vehicle control-treated group survived, whereas all 8 infected macaques treated for 21 days and 4 of 6 macaques in the 14-day treatment group survived to the end of the study (56 days postchallenge). All survivors developed toxin-neutralizing and anti-PA IgG antibodies, indicating an immunologic response. On the basis of the results obtained with the mouse and NHP models, TP-271 shows promise as a countermeasure for the treatment of inhalational anthrax.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Henry S Heine
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Winston Lin
- IIT Research Institute, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joseph V Newman
- Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, USA
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Evaluation of Combination Drug Therapy for Treatment of Antibiotic-Resistant Inhalation Anthrax in a Murine Model. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2017; 61:AAC.00788-17. [PMID: 28696235 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00788-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus anthracis is considered a likely agent to be used as a bioweapon, and the use of a strain resistant to the first-line antimicrobial treatments is a concern. We determined treatment efficacies against a ciprofloxacin-resistant strain of B. anthracis (Cipr Ames) in a murine inhalational anthrax model. Ten groups of 46 BALB/c mice were exposed by inhalation to 7 to 35 times the 50% lethal dose (LD50) of B. anthracis Cipr Ames spores. Commencing at 36 h postexposure, groups were administered intraperitoneal doses of sterile water for injections (SWI) and ciprofloxacin alone (control groups), or ciprofloxacin combined with two antimicrobials, including meropenem-linezolid, meropenem-clindamycin, meropenem-rifampin, meropenem-doxycycline, penicillin-linezolid, penicillin-doxycycline, rifampin-linezolid, and rifampin-clindamycin, at appropriate dosing intervals (6 or 12 h) for the respective antibiotics. Ten mice per group were treated for 14 days and observed until day 28. The remaining animals were euthanized every 6 to 12 h, and blood, lungs, and spleens were collected for lethal factor (LF) and/or bacterial load determinations. All combination groups showed significant survival over the SWI and ciprofloxacin controls: meropenem-linezolid (P = 0.004), meropenem-clindamycin (P = 0.005), meropenem-rifampin (P = 0.012), meropenem-doxycycline (P = 0.032), penicillin-doxycycline (P = 0.012), penicillin-linezolid (P = 0.026), rifampin-linezolid (P = 0.001), and rifampin-clindamycin (P = 0.032). In controls, blood, lung, and spleen bacterial counts increased to terminal endpoints. In combination treatment groups, blood and spleen bacterial counts showed low/no colonies after 24-h treatments. The LF fell below the detection limits for all combination groups yet remained elevated in control groups. Combinations with linezolid had the greatest inhibitory effect on mean LF levels.
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Adams DA, Thomas KR, Jajosky RA, Foster L, Baroi G, Sharp P, Onweh DH, Schley AW, Anderson WJ. Summary of Notifiable Infectious Diseases and Conditions - United States, 2015. MMWR-MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT 2017; 64:1-143. [PMID: 28796757 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6453a1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The Summary of Notifiable Infectious Diseases and Conditions - United States, 2015 (hereafter referred to as the summary) contains the official statistics, in tabular and graphical form, for the reported occurrence of nationally notifiable infectious diseases and conditions in the United States for 2015. Unless otherwise noted, data are final totals for 2015 reported as of June 30, 2016. These statistics are collected and compiled from reports sent by U.S. state and territories, New York City, and District of Columbia health departments to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), which is operated by CDC in collaboration with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). This summary is available at https://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/MMWR_nd/index.html. This site also includes summary publications from previous years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Adams
- Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, CDC
| | - Kimberly R Thomas
- Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, CDC
| | - Ruth Ann Jajosky
- Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, CDC
| | - Loretta Foster
- Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, CDC
| | - Gitangali Baroi
- Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, CDC
| | - Pearl Sharp
- Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, CDC
| | - Diana H Onweh
- Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, CDC
| | - Alan W Schley
- Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, CDC
| | - Willie J Anderson
- Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, CDC
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McLaughlin HP, Gargis AS, Michel P, Sue D, Weigel LM. Optical Screening for Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and for Observation of Phenotypic Diversity among Strains of the Genetically Clonal Species Bacillus anthracis. J Clin Microbiol 2017; 55:959-970. [PMID: 28053211 PMCID: PMC5328465 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.02209-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
During high-impact events involving Bacillus anthracis, such as the Amerithrax incident of 2001 or the anthrax outbreaks in Russia and Sweden in 2016, critical decisions to reduce morbidity and mortality include rapid selection and distribution of effective antimicrobial agents for treatment and postexposure prophylaxis. Detection of antimicrobial resistance currently relies on a conventional broth microdilution method that requires a 16- to 20-h incubation time for B. anthracis Advances in high-resolution optical screening offer a new technology to more rapidly evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility and to simultaneously assess the growth characteristics of an isolate. Herein, we describe a new method developed and evaluated as a rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test for B. anthracis This method is based on automated digital time-lapse microscopy to observe the growth and morphological effects of relevant antibiotics with an optical screening instrument, the oCelloScope. B. anthracis strains were monitored over time in the presence or absence of penicillin, ciprofloxacin, or doxycycline. Susceptibility to each antibiotic was determined in ≤4 h, 75 to 80% less than the time required for conventional methods. Time-lapse video imaging compiled from the optical screening images revealed unexpected differences in growth characteristics among strains of B. anthracis, which is considered to be a clonal organism. This technology provides a new approach for rapidly detecting phenotypic antimicrobial resistance and for documenting growth attributes that may be beneficial in the further characterization of individual strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather P McLaughlin
- Biodefense Research and Development Laboratory, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amy S Gargis
- Biodefense Research and Development Laboratory, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Pierre Michel
- Biodefense Research and Development Laboratory, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - David Sue
- Biodefense Research and Development Laboratory, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Linda M Weigel
- Biodefense Research and Development Laboratory, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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