Publications

a labourer with a spot on his chest.		1996	8538350
[the cellular mechanisms of antianthrax immunity].	the influence of the vaccination of mice and volunteers on the activity of natural killer cells (nkc) and k cells, the effectors of natural and antibody-dependent cytotoxicity of cells, was studied. both types of killer cells were found to take an active part in the vaccinal process during the whole term of observation. the changes revealed in this study were characterized by two phases. at the first contact with the antigen a rise in the activity of killer cells was observed; this rise was then ...	1995	8525739
surveillance and control of anthrax and rabies in wild herbivores and carnivores in namibia.	anthrax has been studied intensively in etosha national park, namibia since 1966; in addition, since 1975, mortality due to rabies and all other causes has been recorded, totalling 6,190 deaths. standard diagnostic procedures demonstrated that at least 811 deaths (13%) were due to anthrax and 115 deaths (2%) were caused by rabies. of the total number of deaths due to anthrax, 97% occurred in zebra (equus burchelli), elephant (loxodonta africana), wildebeest (connochaetes taurinus) and springbok ...	1993	8518440
[cloning and expression of determinants of bacillus anthracis protective antigen in escherichia coli, bacillus subtilis, and bacillus anthracis cells].	a determinant for a protective antigen (pag) of bacillus anthracis sti has been cloned. its expression in escherichia coli, bacillus subtilis and bacillus anthracis cells has been studied. the hybrid plasmids were obtained carrying the different fragments of the gene. the plasmids ppa2 and ppa3 having the 3'-end fragment of pag deleted (the size of 1 kb) still code for a part of protective antigen preserving the immunological and protective properties.	1993	8515744
anthrax in cattle, wildlife and humans in zambia.		1993	8506601
[retrospective diagnosis of anthrax by intradermal reaction].	the authors report a detailed study of utilization of a skin test with anthraxin to perform a retrospective diagnosis of anthrax in humans who suffered from anthrax 45 days to 31 years after recovery. for a total of 884 persons studied, 762 showed a positive skin test (86.2%). this index was 92.8% for persons tested 45 days to 3 years after convalescence, 82.8% 4 to 15 years after convalescence and 72.7% 16-31 years after recovery. the site of the primary carbuncle on the skin of the fingers, ha ...	1993	8505888
postexposure prophylaxis against experimental inhalation anthrax.	inhalation anthrax is a rare disease that is almost invariably fatal. this study determined whether a prolonged course of postexposure antibiotics with or without vaccination would protect monkeys exposed to a lethal aerosol dose of bacillus anthracis when the antibiotic was discontinued. beginning 1 day after exposure, groups of 10 animals were given penicillin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, doxycycline plus vaccination, vaccination alone, or saline. antibiotics were administered for 30 days and ...	1993	8486963
a macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin b resistance determinant from bacillus anthracis 590: cloning and expression of ermj.	the inducible macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin b resistance determinant, ermj, from bacillus anthracis 590 was cloned in escherichia coli csh26. the dna sequence of ermj was similar to that of ermk or ermd from b. licheniformis, suggesting that ermk-like genes have been distributed in bacillus strains by transposition. expression of ermj was achieved in a b. subtilis minicell system, and the rrna methyltransferase product of ermj was purified. the molecular mass of the enzyme was 58 kda, and ...	1993	8473865
determination of carbohydrate profiles of bacillus anthracis and bacillus cereus including identification of o-methyl methylpentoses by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.	bacillus anthracis and bacillus cereus are closely related pathogenic organisms that are difficult to differentiate phenotypically or genotypically. it is well known that vegetative and spore forms of bacilli are quite distinct both morphologically and chemically, but spore-specific chemical markers allowing these species to be distinguished have not been previously described. by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, vegetative cells and spores of the two species were shown to exhibit dist ...	1993	8463400
pathology of inhalational anthrax in 42 cases from the sverdlovsk outbreak of 1979.	a large epidemic of anthrax that occurred in sverdlovsk (now ekaterinburg), russia, in 1979 resulted in the deaths of many persons. a series of 42 necropsies, representing a majority of the fatalities from this outbreak, consistently revealed pathologic lesions diagnostic of inhalational anthrax, namely hemorrhagic necrosis of the thoracic lymph nodes in the lymphatic drainage of the lungs and hemorrhagic mediastinitis. bacillus anthracis was recovered in bacterial cultures of 20 cases, and orga ...	1993	8460135
direct detection of bacillus anthracis dna in animals by polymerase chain reaction.	bacillus anthracis is a soil pathogen capable of causing anthrax. to establish a method for specifically detecting b. anthracis for practical applications, such as for the inspection of slaughterhouses, the cap region, which is essential for encapsulation in b. anthracis, was used in a dna hybridization study by polymerase chain reaction (pcr). oligonucleotide primers were designed to amplify a 288-bp dna fragment within the capa gene by pcr. the amplified dna sequence specifically hybridized to ...	1993	8458949
[pharyngeal tuberculosis as a differential diagnosis to carcinoma].	the differential diagnosis of pharyngeal tumors includes malignomas as well as chronic inflammatory processes. squamous cell carcinoma is the most prevalent malignoma of the pharynx, representing about 90% of all malignomas of the head and neck. malignant lymphomas, lymphoepithelial tumors (schmincke's tumor) and anaplastic carcinomas are less prevalent. amelanotic melanoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and extramedullary plasmocytoma are rare malignomas of the pharynx. infectious diseases may also be a cau ...	1993	8449787
an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting anthrax antibody in white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus): evaluation of anthrax vaccination and sera from free-ranging deer.	an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for anthrax antibody in white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) was developed and used to evaluate a vaccination study and compare sera from hunter-killed deer in anthrax endemic and non-endemic areas. deer subcutaneously vaccinated with anthrax avirulent spore vaccine developed specific antibody to protective antigen (pa) which was significantly higher than the non-vaccinated controls at 30, 60, 90, and 240 days post-vaccination. there was no difference b ...	1993	8445773
pasteur notebooks reveal deception.		1993	8438162
residues 1-254 of anthrax toxin lethal factor are sufficient to cause cellular uptake of fused polypeptides.	anthrax lethal toxin is a complex of protective antigen (pa, 735 amino acids) and lethal factor (lf, 776 amino acids) that lyses certain eukaryotic cells. lf interacts with pa to gain access to the cytosol to assert its toxicity. the internalization of lf requires that pa bind to a specific membrane receptor and be cleaved by a cell-surface protease (probably furin), so as to expose a site on pa to which lf binds with high affinity. to localize lf functional domains, amino, carboxyl, and interna ...	1993	8429009
characterization of a synthetic calmodulin-binding peptide derived from bacillus anthracis adenylate cyclase.	a 34-amino acid peptide corresponding to residues 532-565 of bacillus anthracis adenylate cyclase (p532-565), a calmodulin (cam)-activated enzyme, was synthesized by solid phase method. although not homologous to any known cam binding sequence, p532-565 exhibits molecular features characteristic of this class of peptides: a higher proportion of basic and hydrophobic residues, segregated onto the two faces of the alpha-helical structure. fluorescence measurements and gel retardation analysis show ...	1993	8420946
indigenous human cutaneous anthrax in texas.	in december 1988 an indigenous case of cutaneous anthrax was identified in texas. the patient, a 63-year-old male hispanic from southwest texas, was a sheep shearer and had a recent history of dissecting sheep that had died suddenly. he experienced an illness characterized by left arm pain and edema. a necrotic lesion developed on his left forearm, with cellulitis and lymphadenopathy. after treatment with oral and intravenous penicillins, the patient fully recovered. western blot testing reveale ...	1993	8420007
characterization of macrophage sensitivity and resistance to anthrax lethal toxin.	anthrax lethal toxin, which consists of two proteins, protective antigen and lethal factor, is cytolytic for macrophages. macrophages from different mouse strains were found to vary in their sensitivities to toxin. c3h mouse macrophages lysed by lethal factor concentrations of 0.001 micrograms/ml were 100,000 times more sensitive than those from resistant a/j mice. we analyzed various stages of the intoxication process to determine the basis for this resistance. direct binding studies with radio ...	1993	8380282
[oropharyngeal anthrax].	we report on a 46-year old man suffering from the oropharyngeal form of human anthrax. the patient presented with a sore throat and extensive swelling of the right neck, the oropharynx and especially the right tonsil. the skin of the mandibular and submandibular region showed vesicular lesions followed by ulcerations resulting in a blackish eschar. the diagnosis was verified by bacteriological culture. thus, in cases of known exposure, in areas where anthrax is endemic or in immigrant workers co ...	1993	8369089
non-toxigenic derivatives of the ames strain of bacillus anthracis are fully virulent for mice: role of plasmid px02 and chromosome in strain-dependent virulence.	the toxin-encoding plasmid px01 and capsule-associated plasmid px02 are required for full virulence of bacillus anthracis in some animals. however, the non-toxigenic px01-cured derivatives of certain anthrax strains are not completely attenuated for mice, and their virulence is strain-dependent. the strain-related differences were partially associated with plasmid px02 as demonstrated by px02 transductants of the attenuated vaccine strain um23-1 cured of px01. to determine the virulence of non-t ...	1993	8366815
cloning and characterization of a gene whose product is a trans-activator of anthrax toxin synthesis.	the 184-kb bacillus anthracis plasmid pxo1, which is required for virulence, contains three genes encoding the protein components of anthrax toxin, cya (edema factor gene), lef (lethal factor gene), and pag (protective antigen gene). expression of the three proteins is induced by bicarbonate or serum. using a pag-lacz transcriptional construct to measure pag promoter activity, we cloned in bacillus subtilis a gene (atxa) whose product acts in trans to stimulate anthrax toxin expression. deletion ...	1993	8366021
risk analysis and the importation of animals and animal products.	importation of animals or animal products cannot take place without some element of risk. risk analysis is a blend of art and science and is a tool intended to provide decision-makers with an objective, repeatable and defensible assessment of the risks posed by a particular import proposal. risk analysis comprises risk identification, risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. examples are presented of risk analysis involving anthrax in green hides, slow virus diseases and sheep em ...	1993	8312612
quantitation of bacillus anthracis by using of soybean agglutinin conjugates.	we examine the possibility of using the soybean agglutinin (sba) marked by peroxidase (hrp), biotin, fitc, or gold in order to determine the number of bacillus anthracis cells of vaccine strain sti. it was shown that the technique based on interaction between the lectin and microbial cell walls likely are not inferior in sensitivity to traditional elisa variants. the sensitivities of methods were 10(4) cells/ml in the case of sba-biotin, 10(5) cells/ml in the case of sba-hrp, or 10(6) cells/ml i ...	1993	8302312
regulation of the bacillus anthracis protective antigen gene: co2 and a trans-acting element activate transcription from one of two promoters.	the pag gene of bacillus anthracis, located on plasmid pxo1 (185 kb), encodes protective antigen, a component of the anthrax lethal and edema toxins. synthesis of protective antigen is enhanced during growth of the organism with elevated levels of co2. the co2 effect is at the level of transcription, and pxo1-encoded regulatory factors have been implicated in control of pag expression. we used a tn917-ltv3 insertion mutant of b. anthracis in which the wild-type pag gene on pxo1 was replaced with ...	1994	8300513
the development and assessment of dna and oligonucleotide probes for the specific detection of bacillus anthracis.	two dna probes and a number of oligonucleotide probes were designed from the virulence factor genes of bacillus anthracis. these probes were tested for specificity against 52 b. anthracis strains and 233 bacillus strains encompassing 23 other species. a rapid slot blotting technique was used for screening the large numbers of isolates involved. all probes tested appeared to be specific for b. anthracis under high stringency conditions. these probes could differentiate between virulent and avirul ...	1993	8300447
bacillus cereus and related species.	bacillus cereus is a gram-positive aerobic or facultatively anaerobic spore-forming rod. it is a cause of food poisoning, which is frequently associated with the consumption of rice-based dishes. the organism produces an emetic or diarrheal syndrome induced by an emetic toxin and enterotoxin, respectively. other toxins are produced during growth, including phospholipases, proteases, and hemolysins, one of which, cereolysin, is a thiol-activated hemolysin. these toxins may contribute to the patho ...	1993	8269390
the current epidemiology and control of trypanosomiasis and other zoonoses in tanzania.	the epidemiology and control strategies of african trypanosomiasis, plague, rabies, brucellosis, anthrax and hydatidosis, the most important and well documented zoonotic diseases in tanzania, have been described. bovine tuberculosis, tetanus, taeniosis, trichinosis and tungosis are also endemic in some parts of the country but records of their incidences are not available. initial outbreaks of trypanosomiasis in tanzania were caused by trypanosoma gambiense which originated from west africa and ...	1993	8261496
construction of bacillus anthracis mutant strains producing a single toxin component.	the two protein exotoxins secreted by bacillus anthracis are composed of three distinct components: protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf), and (o)edema factor (ef). we have developed a genetic strategy that permits us selectively to inactivate each of the genes coding for pa, ef or lf. this strategy involved the deletion of a portion of the structural gene and the insertion of an antibiotic resistance cassette. with this technique, double mutant strains of b. anthracis producing only one t ...	1993	8254316
cowpox can mimic anthrax.	we report a patient suffering from cowpox infection, in whom the clinical features mimicked those of anthrax. the infection may have been acquired as a result of contact with a rodent.	1993	8251366
anthrax and cowdriosis in an african elephant (loxodonta africana).		1993	8236707
on the role of macrophages in anthrax.	bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, produces systemic shock and death in susceptible animals, primarily through the action of its lethal toxin. this toxin, at high concentrations, induces lysis of macrophages in vitro but shows little or no effect on other cells. we found that when mice were specifically depleted of macrophages by silica injections, they became resistant to the toxin. sensitivity could be restored by coinjection of toxin-sensitive cultured macrophages (raw 264.7 ...	1993	8234277
[epidemiologic and clinical picture of anthrax in patients in split 1956-1987].		1993	8231617
characterization of clostridium perfringens iota-toxin genes and expression in escherichia coli.	the iota toxin which is produced by clostridium perfringens type e, is a binary toxin consisting of two independent polypeptides: ia, which is an adp-ribosyltransferase, and ib, which is involved in the binding and internalization of the toxin into the cell. two degenerate oligonucleotide probes deduced from partial amino acid sequence of each component of c. spiroforme toxin, which is closely related to the iota toxin, were used to clone three overlapping dna fragments containing the iota-toxin ...	1993	8225592
veterinary public health. documents available.		1993	8217584
[renal anthrax: a case report in a child].		1993	8212339
death at sverdlovsk: what have we learned?		1994	8203454
[delayed hypersensitivity after anthrax vaccination. i--study of guinea pigs vaccinated against anthrax].	to evaluate delayed hypersensitivity after anthrax vaccination, an anthraxin skin test was performed in 682 guinea pigs at various times after immunization with veterinary unencapsulated active anthrax vaccine. results were compared with those obtained in unimmunized control guinea pigs (n = 216), in guinea pigs that received a non-immunizing dose of live vaccine (n = 183) and in guinea pigs inoculated with inactivated vaccine (n = 120). anthraxin skin tests were positive in the first postvaccin ...	1994	8196523
anthrax in humans and camels in the sudan with reference to the disease in the country.		1993	8190979
health status differentials in the people's republic of china.	this study sought to demonstrate that health status varies markedly in different parts of china.	1994	8179041
observations on cattle ticks in huila province (angola).	in huila province of angola, 3864 ticks were collected during a parasitological survey carried out in the rainy season from october 1990 to april 1991. the samples were collected from cattle gathered for the annual vaccination campaign against contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, anthrax and blackleg in 18 veterinary stations of six municipalities. after tick classification, the following proportions of ticks were obtained: rhipicephalus evertsi mimeticus (27.1%), amblyomma pomposum (26.4%), booph ...	1994	8171837
[interaction of bacillus anthracis with benzylpenicillin in vivo and in vitro].	interaction of the cells of bacillus anthracis strain ch-7 with benzylpenicillin was studied. the cells of strain ch-7 were shown to contain the penicillinase gene in the repressed state. spontaneous derepression of the gene at a rate of 10(-8) resulting in the synthesis of penicillinase was observed. penicillinase was synthesized constitutionally and its synthesis did not depend on the presence of benzylpenicillin in the cultivation medium. the therapeutic effect of benzylpenicillin in the trea ...	1993	8161274
bacillus anthracis pxo1 virulence plasmid encodes a type 1 dna topoisomerase.	the virulence plasmid pxo1 is responsible for toxin production in bacillus anthracis. a dna fragment from pxo1 was isolated and was shown, by sequence analysis, to contain part of a type 1 dna topoisomerase gene. attempts to clone the entire wild-type gene, designated topx, in escherichia coli, were unsuccessful. in order to obtain the complete gene, it was first insertionally inactivated and then cloned in the mutated form. the deduced amino acid sequence of topo x1 shows similarities to that o ...	1994	8152371
[inhalation anthrax].		1994	8152050
[pneumonia in general infection].		1994	8151962
calmodulin-activated bacterial adenylate cyclases as virulence factors.	bordetella pertussis and bacillus anthracis each produce a virulence-associated, calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase toxin, which generates increased levels of cyclic amp in eukaryotic cells. the two proteins share sequence similarities in their catalytic domains. the remaining regions display different structural and functional organizations that account for the differences both in interaction of the two toxins with target cells and in the resulting disease symptoms.	1993	8143137
structure-function analysis of bacillus anthracis edema factor by using monoclonal antibodies.	edema toxin of bacillus anthracis is composed of protective antigen (pa) and edema factor (ef), a calcium- and calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase. at least five different antigenic regions of ef were identified using a competitive-binding, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of paired monoclonal antibodies (mabs). two mabs, 9f5 and 7g10, inhibited the binding of 125i-ef to cell-bound pa. however, only 9f5 inhibited the elongation response of chinese hamster ovary cells in the presence of edema ...	1994	8135809
an epidemic in guinea bissau.		1994	8134937
a survey of goat and cattle diseases in the artibonite valley, haiti, west indies.	a 40 week study of 43 farmers, 60 goats and 60 cattle was conducted in order to identify abnormal conditions or diseases and predisposing seasonal, managemental or nutritional factors. farms were visited, farmers interviewed and animals examined up to 4 times, about every 10 weeks, and bled for ht, total wbc, selected serum vitamins and minerals, hair collected for mineral analysis. soil and forages were collected for analysis. animals were generally in fair condition, with poor growth and repro ...	1993	8134641
[a species-specific dna probe for identifying toxic strains of anthrax pathogens].	on the plasmid dna pox01 of the anthrax pathogen two bamhi fragments were localized which facilitate detection of the bacillus anthracis strains carrying pxo1 replicon. these fragments, after complete hydrolysis of plasmid dna by hindiii, were cloned on the vector plasmids puc19 and pbr322 by the "shot-gun" method in escherichia coli cells. it is shown that the 900 bp bamhi/hindiii fragment from the pzat1 recombinant plasmid has an ability for specific hybridization with dna of toxigenic strains ...	1994	8133849
anthrax control and research, with special reference to national programme development in africa: memorandum from a who meeting.	the prevalence of anthrax in both animal and human populations has been increasing in africa. it was therefore appropriate for this who meeting to be convened in an endemic area of the western province of zambia in 1992. the participants reviewed anthrax epidemiology and control in some african countries, elaborated national anthrax control and research programmes in africa, discussed international cooperation and work plans, and elaborated recommendations for anthrax control in africa. the disc ...	1994	8131249
[bacterial infections in felines in zoological gardens].	the significance of selected bacterial infections of felines in zoological gardens is discussed. anthrax and malleus are in germany of historical interest only, tuberculosis went down very strongly. isolated cases of pseudotuberculosis must be expected in future. infections with bacteria of the genera chlamydia, pasteurella and of the family enterobacteriaceae are also considered. the significance of clostridium perfringens in the so called tiger disease is discussed.	1994	8129702
differentiation of bacillus anthracis from other bacillus cereus group bacteria with the pcr.	variation among isolates of bacillus anthracis was examined by using restriction fragmentation patterns and the pcr performed with arbitrary and sequence-specific oligonucleotide primers. the patterns were compared with the patterns generated from strains of closely related species belonging to the "bacillus cereus group" of bacteria, including b. cereus, bacillus thuringiensis, and bacillus mycoides. all b. anthracis profiles were identical for each of 18 restriction enzymes, each of 10 arbitra ...	1994	8123566
the effects of ph on the interaction of anthrax toxin lethal and edema factors with phospholipid vesicles.	bacillus anthracis secretes three distinct proteins which interact in binary combinations to produce two toxins. the two effector moieties, edema factor (ef) and lethal factor (lf), interact competitively with the cell receptor-binding moiety, protective antigen (pa), to produce biologically distinct effects. the passage of the toxins through an acidified endosomal compartment is an essential step in the intoxication process, and it has been shown that low ph triggers the insertion of the activa ...	1994	8117722
potency testing of bacterial vaccines for human use.	the potency tests for bacterial vaccines are quite diverse. for some products (pertussis, cholera, anthrax, typhoid and bcg vaccines) these are specified as additional standards in the code of federal regulations. for other products (tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, plague vaccine) the testing is done according to so-called minimum requirements, which have less regulatory authority than additional standards. still other products (e.g., polysaccharide conjugate vaccines, acellular pertussis vaccin ...	1993	8116190
bacillus anthracis as a cause of bacterial meningitis.		1993	8108217
identification of a novel gene, dep, associated with depolymerization of the capsular polymer in bacillus anthracis.	bacillus anthracis produces a gamma-linked poly-d-glutamic acid capsule that is essential for virulence. a 6.2 kb fragment of b. anthracis dna (cap), when present in escherichia coli, produces a capsular polymer that is immunologically identical to that produced by b. anthracis. by immunodiffusion analysis of e. coli strains carrying varying portions of the cap region, we identified a novel gene (dep) responsible for degradation of the capsular polymer of b. anthracis. the simultaneous presence ...	1993	8105361
human live anthrax vaccine in the former ussr.	the history of the development and use of the soviet live spore human anthrax vaccine is described. results of mass field trials on this vaccine following administration by scarification, by subcutaneous injection route or by aerosol exposure are presented. for the immunological assessment of these vaccinations a skin test with an original product 'anthraxin' was used.	1994	8091851
temporal artery inflammation as a complication of anthrax.	a 41-year-old male patient was treated with penicillin for cutaneous anthrax affecting the region of the right eye. he was also given dexamethasone for 3 days to combat extensive oedema which was causing respiratory difficulty because of tracheal compression. after the oedema had resolved and the typical necrotic black eschar of anthrax had evolved, he developed acute inflammation of the right temporal artery. we believe this is the first report of this type of complication of anthrax.	1994	8089518
[cellulitis of the face: do not forget anthrax].		1994	8072979
[preliminary trials of oral immunization of wild animals against anthrax].	as a pilot trial for the vaccination of game in african game parks against anthrax, trials with guinea-pigs were undertaken to vaccinate the animals orally against anthrax. the vaccine has been prepared with the göettingen bioreactor technology obtaining sporulation in suspension. guinea-pigs vaccinated orally and subcutaneously with the vaccine resisted a challenge of 1000 spores with a pathogen field strain isolated from elephants in zambia. with a challenge dosis of 2500 spores orally and sub ...	1994	8067984
[the epidemiology, epizootiology and prevention of anthrax in the former ussr].		1993	8067132
[the nonspecific resistance indices of different species of laboratory animals immunized with sti anthrax vaccine].	a complex comparative study of the characteristics of nonspecific resistance in different species of laboratory animals immunized with vaccine sti against anthrax has revealed the existence of marked interspecific differences between noninbred white mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and noninbred white rats in such characteristics as phagocytic activity, oxygen-dependent function of polymorphonuclear blood leukocytes, serum beta-lysin and lysozyme.	1993	8059581
anthrax protective antigen forms oligomers during intoxication of mammalian cells.	the protective antigen component (pa) of anthrax toxin binds to receptors on target cells and conveys the toxin's edema factor (ef) and lethal factor (lf) components into the cytoplasm. pa (83 kda) is processed by a cellular protease, yielding a 63-kda fragment (pa63), which binds ef and/or lf. when exposed to acidic ph, pa63 inserts into membranes and forms ion-conductive channels. by electron microscopy, a significant fraction of purified pa63 was found to be in the form of a multi-subunit rin ...	1994	8051159
the three bacillus anthracis toxin genes are coordinately regulated by bicarbonate and temperature.	the two bacillus anthracis toxins are composed of three proteins, protective antigen, lethal factor, and edema factor. the structural genes for these three components are located on the virulence plasmid pxo1. we constructed transcriptional fusions between the regulatory region of each of these genes and lacz. each construct was then inserted as a single copy at the corresponding toxin gene locus on pxo1, resulting in three isogenic strains. two environmental factors, bicarbonate and temperature ...	1994	8051039
anthrax: virulence and vaccines.		1994	8042830
anthrax in switzerland during the early 19th century.	the progress of a devastating case of enzootic anthrax is investigated by means of documents found in the archives of a private farm. these reports initiated a detailed historical study of the anthrax situation in switzerland at the time, notably in the north-west of the country.	1994	8038451
epidemiology, surveillance and control of the principal infectious animal diseases in africa.	the author presents detailed information on traditional methods, the majority of which remain in use, for the recognition, prevention and treatment of the principal infectious diseases prevalent on the african continent. the information provided relates to the observations and practices of peoples in three main regions, namely west, east and southern africa. data are presented for ten diseases of major importance, with the widest range of practices being recorded for the control of foot and mout ...	1994	8038440
[characterization of a rif-r population of bacillus anthracis].	formation of spontaneous rifr mutants was detected in the populations of various strains of bacillus anthracis (sti-1, sterne and ch-7) at a rate of 10(-8) per 1 cfu. the levels of the rifampicin resistance in the mutants were different, the mic ranged from 16 to 512 micrograms/ml. the clones of the rifr population of the virulent strain ch-7 were heterogeneous in the morphological properties of the colonies and cells, the capacity for the synthesis of the toxin and capsule, the sporulation and ...	1993	8037574
an outbreak of anthrax meningoencephalitis.	we report a common-source outbreak of anthrax meningoencephalitis in chittoor district in andhra pradesh, southern india, in october 1990. the source of infection was the carcass of a sheep. of 5 persons who skinned and cut up its meat for human consumption, 4 developed anthrax meningoencephalitis and one a malignant pustule. another person who wrapped the meat in a cloth and carried it home on his head developed a malignant pustule on his forehead and also meningoencephalitis. all subjects with ...	1994	8036676
[visceral form of human anthrax imported from africa].	widespread vaccination has largely eliminated anthrax in europe (the last case was reported in france in 1972) but the disease remains endemic in many developing countries. the usual cutaneous presentation (malignant pustules) is much more familiar than the various visceral manifestations including digestive tract, pulmonary or meningeal signs. we report a case of a 33-year-old immigrant living in france who was hospitalized for asthenia, dyspnoea, mucopurulant expectoration and moderate diarrho ...	1994	8022724
identification of capsule-forming bacillus anthracis spores with the pcr and a novel dual-probe hybridization format.	anthrax is a fatal infection of humans and livestock that is caused by the gram-positive bacterium bacillus anthracis. the virulent strains of b. anthracis are encapsulated and toxigenic. in this paper we describe the development of a pcr technique for identifying spores of b. anthracis. two 20-mer oligonucleotide primers specific for the capb region of 60-mda plasmid pxo2 were used for amplification. the amplification products were detected by using biotin- and fluorescein-labeled probes in a n ...	1994	8017940
protein synthesis is required for expression of anthrax lethal toxin cytotoxicity.	anthrax lethal toxin, which is composed of two proteins, i.e., protective antigen and lethal factor, is cytolytic to mouse peritoneal macrophages and the macrophage-like cell line j774a.1. after exposure of cells to lethal toxin, inhibition of protein synthesis occurred only slightly before the onset of cytolysis. thus, cell death did not appear to be due to inhibition of protein synthesis. however, prior treatment of j774a.1 cells with cycloheximide or puromycin, which inhibited protein synthes ...	1994	8005682
impaired neutrophil function in the cutaneous form of anthrax.	spontaneous and bacillus anthracis induced luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of neutrophils was studied in six patients with the cutaneous form of anthrax. spontaneous chemiluminescence in anthrax was decreased compared to the healthy controls (p < 0.05). b. anthracis, opsonized by complement-containing sera from patients, induced chemiluminescence in neutrophils from control donors but not from patients. b. anthracis, opsonized by complement-free sera from the patients, did not cause an incre ...	1994	8002089
human cowpox 1969-93: a review based on 54 cases.	this survey of the clinical and epidemiological features of human cowpox, a rare but relatively severe zoonotic infection, is based on 54 cases, many unpublished, which we have studied since 1969. patients present with painful, haemorrhagic pustules or black eschars, usually on the hand or face, accompanied by oedema, erythema, lymphadenopathy, and systemic involvement. severe, occasionally fatal, cases occur in eczematous and immunosuppressed individuals, although cowpox has not yet been report ...	1994	7999588
information on which to base assessments of risk from environments contaminated with anthrax spores.	although there has been a considerable amount of research conducted into bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, the data are widely disseminated in the scientific literature and are therefore not always easy to assimilate. in view of continuing concern about potential anthrax contamination in environmental materials and sites, this review brings together the currently available information relating to the health hazards from b. anthracis. the relevance of the available information f ...	1994	7995358
furin activates pseudomonas exotoxin a by specific cleavage in vivo and in vitro.	we have demonstrated that the native proenzymatic form of pseudomonas exotoxin a can be cleaved at its specific activation site by furin in intact chinese hamster ovary cells or in vitro by furin in isolated membrane fractions from these cells. we have compared the activity of furin in cell membrane fractions with that of purified, recombinant human furin. we have verified that rpe.40, a pseudomonas toxin-resistant mutant cell strain, is mutant in the fur gene, and we have demonstrated that thes ...	1994	7989356
[pathology of anthrax sepsis according to materials of the infectious outbreak in 1979 in sverdlovsk (various aspects of morpho-, patho- and thanatogenesis)].	hemorrhagic lymphadenitis of the intrathoracic lymph nodes and mediastinitis are shown to be the primary septical focus, this indicating an inhalation route of the contamination with development of pulmonary anthrax. the alterations in the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system are considered to be secondary resulting from lymphohematogenic generalization of the anthraxic sepsis. the attention is drawn to the morphological signs of the immunodepression and the inhibition of granulocyt ...	1993	7980034
[pathology of anthrax sepsis according to materials of the infectious outbreak in 1979 in sverdlovsk (microscopic changes)].	histologic studies of 42 cases of anthrax revealed that serous-hemorrhagic, hemorrhagic and hemorrhagic-necrotic inflammation was a substrate of macroscopic changes. morphological characteristics of alterations in the respiratory organs, lymph nodes and mediastinum, digestive tract and liver, spleen, kidneys, brain and meninges are presented.	1993	7980033
[pathology of anthrax sepsis according to materials of the infectious outbreak in 1979 in sverdlovsk (macroscopic changes)].	obligatory findings in 42 postmortem observation of anthrax were hemorrhagic alterations of the intrathoracic lymph nodes and mediastinum. hemorrhagic alterations in the respiratory organs, digestive tract, brain and meninges were also found macroscopically.	1993	7980032
efficacy of a standard human anthrax vaccine against bacillus anthracis spore challenge in guinea-pigs.	the efficacy of an anthrax vaccine licensed for human use, mdph-pa, was tested in guinea-pigs intramuscularly challenged with 10, 100 or 1000 ld50 of spores from two virulent strains of bacillus anthracis, vollum 1b and ames. as demonstrated in other investigations, immunization with mdph-pa provided better protection against challenge with the vollum 1b strain than with the ames strain, although vaccine efficacy against the ames strain was better than previously reported. enzyme-linked immunoso ...	1994	7975827
the sverdlovsk anthrax outbreak of 1979.	in april and may 1979, an unusual anthrax epidemic occurred in sverdlovsk, union of soviet socialist republics. soviet officials attributed it to consumption of contaminated meat. u.s. agencies attributed it to inhalation of spores accidentally released at a military microbiology facility in the city. epidemiological data show that most victims worked or lived in a narrow zone extending from the military facility to the southern city limit. farther south, livestock died of anthrax along the zone ...	1994	7973702
ph-dependent permeabilization of the plasma membrane of mammalian cells by anthrax protective antigen.	protective antigen (pa) of anthrax toxin forms ion-conductive channels in planar lipid bilayers and liposomes under acidic ph conditions. we show here that pa has a similar permeabilizing action on the plasma membranes of cho-k1 and three other mammalian cell lines (j774a.1, raw264.7 and vero). changes in membrane permeability were evaluated by measuring the efflux of the k+ analogue, 86rb+, from prelabelled cells, and the influx of 22na+. the permeabilizing activity of pa was limited to a prote ...	1993	7968541
effect of different plasmids on colonization of mouse tissues by the aromatic amino acid dependent salmonella typhimurium sl 3261.	the stability of plasmids pbr322, puc19 and pbluescript and their effect on bacterial colonization of mice was determined. s. typhimurium sl 3261 carrying high copy number plasmids colonized spleen and liver tissues poorly compared to low copy number plasmids. after inoculation into mice, the stability of the plasmids appeared to be inversely related to the plasmid's size and complexity. mouse-passaging a pbluescript-based recombinant plasmid expressing the protective antigen of bacillus anthrac ...	1994	7968459
the chymotrypsin-sensitive site, ffd315, in anthrax toxin protective antigen is required for translocation of lethal factor.	the protective antigen (pa) component of anthrax toxin contains two sites that are uniquely sensitive to proteolytic cleavage. cleavage at the sequence rkkr167 by the cellular protease furin is absolutely required for toxicity, whereas cleavage by chymotrypsin or thermolysin at the sequence ffd315 inactivates the protein, apparently by blocking the ability of pa to translocate the catalytic moieties of the toxins, lethal factor (lf) and edema factor (ef), to the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. to s ...	1994	7961869
[febrile syndrome and pustular-necrotic lesion].		1994	7948116
anthrax in a dog.		1994	7941238
[post anthrax vaccine delayed hypersensitivity. ii--delayed hypersensitivity in humans vaccinated against anthrax].	to detect cell immunity characterized by delayed postvaccination hypersensitivity to anthrax in man and assess its dynamics, vaccination using unencapsulated live anthrax vaccine was performed in 668 healthy volunteers. vaccination was performed either by scarification (n = 172), subcutaneous injection (n = 202), or low-dose (n = 202) or high-dose (n = 83) inhalation. the anthraxin intradermal tests were performed in each patient at various times during the year following vaccination (d7, d15, d ...	1994	7934778
cytotoxic effects of a chimeric protein consisting of tetanus toxin light chain and anthrax toxin lethal factor in non-neuronal cells.	the light chain of tetanus toxin is a zinc endoprotease that inhibits neurotransmitter release by selective proteolysis of the synaptic vesicle-associated protein synaptobrevin/vesicle-associated membrane protein. cellubrevin is a homologue of synaptobrevin that is found in most cell types and is also a substrate for tetanus toxin. the lack of receptors for tetanus toxin on most cell types has made studies of tetanus toxin action in non-neuronal cells difficult. to characterize tetanus toxin eff ...	1994	7929330
fusions of anthrax toxin lethal factor with shiga toxin and diphtheria toxin enzymatic domains are toxic to mammalian cells.	to investigate the ability of anthrax toxin lethal factor (lf) to translocate foreign proteins into the cytosol of eukaryotic cells and to characterize the structural requirements of this process, fusion proteins containing a portion of lf and the catalytic domains of either diphtheria toxin or shiga toxin were constructed. previous work showed that residues 1 to 254 of anthrax toxin lethal factor (lf1-254) are sufficient for binding to the protective antigen component of the toxin and that port ...	1994	7927776
anthrax edema toxin differentially regulates lipopolysaccharide-induced monocyte production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6 by increasing intracellular cyclic amp.	bacillus anthracis exotoxins mediate most of the symptomatology of severe anthrax. in addition to a clinical syndrome reminiscent of septic shock, which may be mediated by cytokines produced by macrophages stimulated with lethal toxin, infected patients show profound edema at sites of infection. edema is mediated by edema toxin (et), which comprises of a binding molecule, protective antigen, and an active moiety, edema factor, which possesses intrinsic adenylyl cyclase activity. intracellular cy ...	1994	7927706
[the differential diagnosis of anthrax in man].	the paper reports group cases of the disease running as anthrax. the disease was not identified etiologically. the authors hold that it is important to make differential diagnosis of anthrax with necrobacillosis, pasteurellosis and contact pustular viral dermatitis. laboratory and clinical diagnostic techniques are specified.	1994	7900012
ecology and epidemiology of anthrax in the etosha national park, namibia.	analysis of mortality records has revealed distinct patterns in the incidence of anthrax in elephant and plains ungulates. the seasonal peak among the former is in november at the end of the dry season, while among the latter it occurs in march towards the end of the rainy season. among elephants, there has been a notable spread of the disease to the west of the park. age and sex analyses indicate that, except for zebra, proportionally greater numbers of adult males die of anthrax among the spec ...	1994	7898901
protective immunity induced by bacillus anthracis toxin-deficient strains.	the two toxins secreted by bacillus anthracis are composed of binary combinations of three proteins: protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf), and edema factor (ef). six mutant strains that are deficient in the production of one or two of these toxin components have been previously constructed and characterized (c. pezard, e. duflot, and m. mock, j. gen. microbiol. 139:2459-2463, 1993). in this work, we examined the antibody response to the in vivo production of pa, lf, and ef in mice immuniz ...	1995	7890396
anthrax.		1994	7888525
bacillus anthracis protective antigen, expressed in salmonella typhimurium sl 3261, affords protection against anthrax spore challenge.	the protective antigen (pa) gene from bacillus anthracis has been expressed in salmonella typhimurium sl 3261 (aroa). expression was achieved by cloning the gene after the plac promoter in a high copy number plasmid. the recombinant pa was exported into the periplasm. this construct was unstable in vivo and also reduced the colonization ability of the host s. typhimurium. mouse-passaging of the recombinant salmonella resulted in a strain with enhanced colonization ability and increased stability ...	1994	7887017
characterization of spo0a homologues in diverse bacillus and clostridium species identifies a probable dna-binding domain.	spo0a is a phosphorylation-activated transcription factor of bacillus subtilis. it is a member of the response regulator superfamily of bacterial signal transduction proteins and controls many of the changes in gene expression that occur during the transition into stationary phase and during the initiation of sporulation. to identify the domains of spo0a most critical for determining its structural and functional features, presumptive homologues of the spo0a gene were characterized in a collecti ...	1994	7885226
lao people's democratic republic veterinary public health project.	from may 21 to june 4, 1993, a collaborative training project involving u.s. army veterinary personnel, the lao-american integrated rural development project, and the lao department of livestock and veterinary services occurred in the houa muang district of houa phan province in northeastern laos. the project focus was control of the major animal diseases of economic or public health importance in the area to include, but not limited to, hemorrhagic septicemia, anthrax, swine fever (hog cholera) ...	1994	7870320
anthrax toxin lethal factor contains a zinc metalloprotease consensus sequence which is required for lethal toxin activity.	comparison of the anthrax toxin lethal factor (lf) amino acid sequence with sequences in the swiss protein database revealed short regions of similarity with the consensus zinc-binding site, hexxh, that is characteristic of metalloproteases. several protease inhibitors, including bestatin and captopril, prevented intoxication of macrophages by lethal toxin. lf was fully inactivated by site-directed mutagenesis that substituted ala for either of the residues (h-686 and h-690) implicated in zinc b ...	1994	7854123
zinc content of the bacillus anthracis lethal factor.	we present evidence that the anthrax toxin lethal factor binds multiple zinc atoms. results from atomic adsorption spectroscopy indicate that lethal factor contains approximately three zinc atoms per toxin molecule. lethal factor treated with edta and o-phenanthroline contained a similar number of zinc atoms, indicating that all three zinc atoms are tightly bound to the protein. lethal factor contains the highly conserved zinc-binding consensus sequence, hexxh, that is present in all known zinc ...	1994	7851740
[comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of fluoroquinolones in experimental anthrax infection].	comparative antibacterial activity and protective efficacy of ciprofloxacin, pefloxacin and lomefloxacin were estimated in a model of anthrax. the mics of the three drugs determined by the method of serial dilutions for three vaccinal strains of bacillus anthracis were 0.5 to 1.0 microgram/ml. the protective efficacy of the chemotherapeutics in experimental anthrax induced by the spores of the vaccinal strain 71/12, tsenkovsky was evaluated in mathematically designed four-factor experiments. it ...	1994	7848000