Publications

group i self-splicing intron in the reca gene of bacillus anthracis.	self-splicing introns are rarely found in bacteria and bacteriophages. they are classified into group i and ii according to their structural features and splicing mechanisms. while the group i introns are occasionally found in protein-coding regions of phage genomes and in several trna genes of cyanobacteria and proteobacteria, they had not been found in protein-coding regions of bacterial genomes. here we report a group i intron in the reca gene of bacillus anthracis which was initially found b ...	2002	12081963
bioterrorism syndromes.		2002	12085490
bioterrorism threat makes preparation essential.		2002	12085491
the usa preparing for bioterrorism: the role of fort detrick since 1970.		2002	12085492
more fda resources to counter terrorism.		2002	12085814
fda approves anthrax vaccine license supplements.		2002	12085816
case records of the massachusetts general hospital. weekly clinicopathological exercises. case 20-2002. a 37-year-old man with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, and a cutaneous foot lesion after a trip to africa.		2002	12087144
a perspective: risk analysis as a tool for reducing the risks of terrorism.	the destruction by terrorists of the twin towers of the world trade center and major damage wrought to the pentagon on september 11, 2001, followed closely by the bioterrorist anthrax attacks via the mails raised the question of whether risk analysis might have a place in defending the united states against terrorist attacks. after first reviewing the multifaceted nature of terrorism and the reasons it is likely to become endemic in world society in the long term, just as other areas of crime ar ...	2002	12088218
bacterial and fungal aerosols in indoor environment in central and eastern european countries.	studies of indoor bioaerosols conducted in central and eastern european countries, as a result of the scarcity of funding, mostly do not attain the level presented by similar studies in northern america and western europe. for socio-economic reasons, most of the intense studies on indoor bioaerosols in central and eastern european countries were carried out in industrial facilities and have contributed significantly to occupational health science. in contrast, until recently, insufficient of stu ...	2002	12088392
maximum shields: the assembly and function of the bacterial spore coat.	spores produced by bacilli and clostridia are surrounded by a multilayered protein shell called the coat. as the armor-like appearance of the coat suggests, this structure, along with others within the spore, confers the remarkable resistance properties that make bacillus anthracis spores such potent biological weapons. here, i review recent studies of coat assembly in the model organism bacillus subtilis, and explore the implications of these findings for coat assembly in b. anthracis and for d ...	2002	12088650
2001: a year of major advances in anthrax toxin research.	anthrax is caused when spores of bacillus anthracis enter a host and germinate. the bacteria multiply and secrete a tripartite toxin causing local edema and, in systemic infection, death. in nature, anthrax is primarily observed in cattle and other herbivores; humans are susceptible but rarely affected. in 2001, anthrax spores were used effectively for the first time in bioterrorist attacks, resulting in 11 confirmed cases of human disease and five deaths. these events have underscored the need ...	2002	12088665
[anthrax. the growing danger].		2002	12089782
diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous anthrax.		2002	12090858
diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous anthrax.		2002	12090859
[anthrax and disaster planning at the university hospital in ulleval].		2002	12092084
perceptions of state public health officers and state veterinarians regarding risks of bioterrorism in the united states.	to assess perceptions of state public health officers and state veterinarians in the united states regarding the risks of bioterrorism and determine the degree of support provided for activities related to bioterrorism.	2002	12092950
anthrax of the gastrointestinal tract.	when swallowed, anthrax spores may cause lesions from the oral cavity to the cecum. gastrointestinal anthrax is greatly underreported in rural disease-endemic areas of the world. the apparent paucity of this form of anthrax reflects the lack of facilities able to make the diagnosis in these areas. the spectrum of disease, ranging from subclinical infection to death, has not been fully recognized. in some community-based studies, cases of gastrointestinal anthrax outnumbered those of cutaneous an ...	2002	12095428
horse kicks, anthrax and the poisson model for deaths.		2002	12095459
bioterrorism today.	anthrax being sent through the postal service brought the risks of bioterrorism home to us all: but what dies it really mean?	2002	12097718
a collagen-like surface glycoprotein is a structural component of the bacillus anthracis exosporium.	bacillus anthracis, the aetiological agent of anthrax, is a gram-positive spore-forming bacterium. the exosporium is the outermost integument surrounding the mature spore. here, we describe the purification and the characterization of an immunodominant protein of the spore surface. this protein was abundant, glycosylated and part of the exosporium. the amino-terminal sequence was determined and the corresponding gene was identified. it encodes a protein of 382 amino acid residues, the central pa ...	2002	12100557
germination of bacillus cereus spores in response to l-alanine and to inosine: the roles of gerl and gerq operons.	bacillus cereus 569 (atcc 10876) endospores germinate in response to inosine or l-alanine, the most rapid germination response being elicited by a combination of these germinants. the geri operon has already been characterized as a homologue of the gera spore-germination receptor family of operons found in all bacillus spp. examined; the primary defect in geri mutant spores is in the inosine germination response, although spores were also slower to germinate in l-alanine. additional transposon-i ...	2002	12101297
[prevention of bioterrorism by vaccines].	prevention against the weapons of bioterrorists is limited by the multiplicity of agents that could be used. against smallpox, stocks of the classical vaccine must be prepared, but this vaccine is dangerous and we must look for a new and safer vaccine. a vaccine against anthrax is probably possible relatively soon. one may be less optimistic concerning plague, since it is not sure that we could protect against the pulmonary plague, but research in this field is an emergency. the large number of ...	2002	12391900
banai a new isoschizomer of the type ii restriction endonuclease haeiii discovered in a bacillus anthracis isolate from amazon basin.	bacillus anthracis was isolated and identified from a bacterial collection of samples from the amazon river bank. type ii restriction endonuclease activity was detected in this prokaryote, the enzyme was purified, the molecular mass of the native protein estimated by gel filtration, and optima ph, temperature and salt requirements were determined. quality control assays showed complete absence of 'non-specific nucleases'. restriction cleavage analysis and dna sequencing of restriction fragments ...	2002	12393207
feeling crummy? is it the flu?		2002	12393332
anthrax bioterrorism: lessons learned and future directions.		2002	12396907
public health in the time of bioterrorism.		2002	12396908
investigation of bioterrorism-related anthrax, united states, 2001: epidemiologic findings.	in october 2001, the first inhalational anthrax case in the united states since 1976 was identified in a media company worker in florida. a national investigation was initiated to identify additional cases and determine possible exposures to bacillus anthracis. surveillance was enhanced through health-care facilities, laboratories, and other means to identify cases, which were defined as clinically compatible illness with laboratory-confirmed b. anthracis infection. from october 4 to november 20 ...	2002	12396909
first case of bioterrorism-related inhalational anthrax in the united states, palm beach county, florida, 2001.	on october 4, 2001, we confirmed the first bioterrorism-related anthrax case identified in the united states in a resident of palm beach county, florida. epidemiologic investigation indicated that exposure occurred at the workplace through intentionally contaminated mail. one additional case of inhalational anthrax was identified from the index patient's workplace. among 1,076 nasal cultures performed to assess exposure, bacillus anthracis was isolated from a co-worker later confirmed as being i ...	2002	12396910
first case of bioterrorism-related inhalational anthrax, florida, 2001: north carolina investigation.	the index case of inhalational anthrax in october 2001 was in a man who lived and worked in florida. however, during the 3 days before illness onset, the patient had traveled through north carolina, raising the possibility that exposure to bacillus anthracis spores could have occurred there. the rapid response in north carolina included surveillance among hospital intensive-care units, microbiology laboratories, medical examiners, and veterinarians, and site investigations at locations visited b ...	2002	12396911
opening a bacillus anthracis-containing envelope, capitol hill, washington, d.c.: the public health response.	on october 15, 2001, a u.s. senate staff member opened an envelope containing bacillus anthracis spores. chemoprophylaxis was promptly initiated and nasal swabs obtained for all persons in the immediate area. an epidemiologic investigation was conducted to define exposure areas and identify persons who should receive prolonged chemoprophylaxis, based on their exposure risk. persons immediately exposed to b. anthracis spores were interviewed; records were reviewed to identify additional persons i ...	2002	12396912
bacillus anthracis aerosolization associated with a contaminated mail sorting machine.	on october 12, 2001, two envelopes containing bacillus anthracis spores passed through a sorting machine in a postal facility in washington, d.c. when anthrax infection was identified in postal workers 9 days later, the facility was closed. to determine if exposure to airborne b. anthracis spores continued to occur, we performed air sampling around the contaminated sorter. one cfu of b. anthracis was isolated from 990 l of air sampled before the machine was activated. six cfus were isolated duri ...	2002	12396913
epidemiologic investigations of bioterrorism-related anthrax, new jersey, 2001.	at least four bacillus anthracis-containing envelopes destined for new york city and washington, d.c. were processed at the trenton processing and distribution center (pdc) on september 18 and october 9, 2001. when cutaneous anthrax was confirmed in a trenton postal worker, the pdc was closed. four cutaneous and two inhalational anthrax cases were identified. five patients were hospitalized; none died. four were pdc employees; the others handled or received mail processed there. onset dates occu ...	2002	12396914
bioterrorism-related anthrax: international response by the centers for disease control and prevention.	after reports of the intentional release of bacillus anthracis in the united states, epidemiologists, laboratorians, and clinicians around the world were called upon to respond to widespread political and public concerns. to respond to inquiries from other countries regarding anthrax and bioterrorism, the centers for disease control and prevention established an international team in its emergency operations center. from october 12, 2001, to january 2, 2002, this team received 130 requests from ...	2002	12396915
a two-component direct fluorescent-antibody assay for rapid identification of bacillus anthracis.	a two-component direct fluorescent-antibody (dfa) assay, using fluorescein-labeled monoclonal antibodies specific to the bacillus anthracis cell wall (cw-dfa) and capsule (cap-dfa) antigens, was evaluated and validated for rapid identification of b. anthracis. we analyzed 230 b. anthracis isolates; 228 and 229 were positive by cw-dfa and cap-dfa assays, respectively. we also tested 56 non-b. anthracis strains; 10 b. cereus and 2 b. thuringiensis were positive by the cw-dfa assay, and 1 b. megate ...	2002	12396916
inhalational anthrax outbreak among postal workers, washington, d.c., 2001.	in october 2001, four cases of inhalational anthrax occurred in workers in a washington, d.c., mail facility that processed envelopes containing bacillus anthracis spores. we reviewed the envelopes' paths and obtained exposure histories and nasal swab cultures from postal workers. environmental sampling was performed. a sample of employees was assessed for antibody concentrations to b. anthracis protective antigen. case-patients worked on nonoverlapping shifts throughout the facility, suggesting ...	2002	12396917
surveillance for anthrax cases associated with contaminated letters, new jersey, delaware, and pennsylvania, 2001.	in october 2001, two inhalational anthrax and four cutaneous anthrax cases, resulting from the processing of bacillus anthracis-containing envelopes at a new jersey mail facility, were identified. subsequently, we initiated stimulated passive hospital-based and enhanced passive surveillance for anthrax-compatible syndromes. from october 24 to december 17, 2001, hospitals reported 240,160 visits and 7,109 intensive-care unit admissions in the surveillance area (population 6.7 million persons). fo ...	2002	12396918
bioterrorism-related anthrax surveillance, connecticut, september-december, 2001.	on november 19, 2001, a case of inhalational anthrax was identified in a 94-year-old connecticut woman, who later died. we conducted intensive surveillance for additional anthrax cases, which included collecting data from hospitals, emergency departments, private practitioners, death certificates, postal facilities, veterinarians, and the state medical examiner. no additional cases of anthrax were identified. the absence of additional anthrax cases argued against an intentional environmental rel ...	2002	12396919
environmental sampling for spores of bacillus anthracis.	on november 11, 2001, following the bioterrorism-related anthrax attacks, the u.s. postal service collected samples at the southern connecticut processing and distribution center; all samples were negative for bacillus anthracis. after a patient in connecticut died from inhalational anthrax on november 19, the center was sampled again on november 21 and 25 by using dry and wet swabs. all samples were again negative for b. anthracis. on november 28, guided by information from epidemiologic invest ...	2002	12396920
call-tracking data and the public health response to bioterrorism-related anthrax.	after public notification of confirmed cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax, the centers for disease control and prevention's emergency operations center responded to 11,063 bioterrorism-related telephone calls from october 8 to november 11, 2001. most calls were inquiries from the public about anthrax vaccines (58.4%), requests for general information on bioterrorism prevention (14.8%), and use of personal protective equipment (12.0%); 882 telephone calls (8.0%) were referred to the state liai ...	2002	12396921
coordinated response to reports of possible anthrax contamination, idaho, 2001.	in 2001, the intentional release of anthrax spores in the eastern united states increased concern about exposure to anthrax nationwide, and residents of idaho sought assistance. response from state and local agencies was required, increasing the strain on epidemiologists, laboratorians, and communications personnel. in late 2001, idaho's public health communications system handled 133 calls about suspicious powders. for each call, a multiagency bridge call was established, and participants (publ ...	2002	12396922
laboratory response to anthrax bioterrorism, new york city, 2001.	in october 2001, the greater new york city metropolitan area was the scene of a bioterrorism attack. the scale of the public response to this attack was not foreseen and threatened to overwhelm the bioterrorism response laboratory's (btrl) ability to process and test environmental samples. in a joint effort with the centers for disease control and prevention and the cooperation of the department of defense, a massive effort was launched to maintain and sustain the laboratory response and return ...	2002	12396923
specific, sensitive, and quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for human immunoglobulin g antibodies to anthrax toxin protective antigen.	the bioterrorism-associated human anthrax epidemic in the fall of 2001 highlighted the need for a sensitive, reproducible, and specific laboratory test for the confirmatory diagnosis of human anthrax. the centers for disease control and prevention developed, optimized, and rapidly qualified an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) for immunoglobulin g (igg) antibodies to bacillus anthracis protective antigen (pa) in human serum. the qualified elisa had a minimum detection limit of 0.06 micro ...	2002	12396924
molecular subtyping of bacillus anthracis and the 2001 bioterrorism-associated anthrax outbreak, united states.	molecular subtyping of bacillus anthracis played an important role in differentiating and identifying strains during the 2001 bioterrorism-associated outbreak. because b. anthracis has a low level of genetic variability, only a few subtyping methods, with varying reliability, exist. we initially used multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (mlva) to subtype 135 b. anthracis isolates associated with the outbreak. all isolates were determined to be of genotype 62, the same as the ame ...	2002	12396925
sequencing of 16s rrna gene: a rapid tool for identification of bacillus anthracis.	in a bioterrorism event, a tool is needed to rapidly differentiate bacillus anthracis from other closely related spore-forming bacillus species. during the recent outbreak of bioterrorism-associated anthrax, we sequenced the 16s rrna generom these species to evaluate the potential of 16s rrna gene sequencing as a diagnostic tool. we found eight distinct 16s types among all 107 16s rrna gene seqs fuences that differed from each other at 1 to 8 positions (0.06% to 0.5%). all 86 b. anthracis had an ...	2002	12396926
antimicrobial postexposure prophylaxis for anthrax: adverse events and adherence.	we collected data during postexposure antimicrobial prophylaxis campaigns and from a prophylaxis program evaluation 60 days after start of antimicrobial prophylaxis involving persons from six u.s. sites where bacillus anthracis exposures occurred. adverse events associated with antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent anthrax were commonly reported, but hospitalizations and serious adverse events as defined by food and drug administration criteria were rare. overall adherence during 60 days of antim ...	2002	12396927
anthrax postexposure prophylaxis in postal workers, connecticut, 2001.	after inhalational anthrax was diagnosed in a connecticut woman on november 20, 2001, postexposure prophylaxis was recommended for postal workers at the regional mail facility serving the patient's area. although environmental testing at the facility yielded negative results, subsequent testing confirmed the presence of bacillus anthracis. we distributed questionnaires to 100 randomly selected postal workers within 20 days of initial prophylaxis. ninety-four workers obtained antibiotics, 68 of w ...	2002	12396928
adherence to antimicrobial inhalational anthrax prophylaxis among postal workers, washington, d.c., 2001.	in october 2001, two envelopes containing bacillus anthracis spores were processed at the washington, d.c., processing and distribution center of the u.s. postal service; inhalational anthrax developed in four workers at this facility. more than 2,000 workers were advised to complete 60 days of postexposure prophylaxis to prevent inhalational anthrax. interventions to promote adherence were carried out to support workers, and qualitative information was collected to evaluate our interventions. a ...	2002	12396929
surface sampling methods for bacillus anthracis spore contamination.	during an investigation conducted december 17-20, 2001, we collected environmental samples from a u.s. postal facility in washington, d.c., known to be extensively contaminated with bacillus anthracis spores. because methods for collecting and analyzing b. anthracis spores have not yet been validated, our objective was to compare the relative effectiveness of sampling methods used for collecting spores from contaminated surfaces. comparison of wipe, wet and dry swab, and hepa vacuum sock samples ...	2002	12396930
collaboration between public health and law enforcement: new paradigms and partnerships for bioterrorism planning and response.	the biological attacks with powders containing bacillus anthracis sent through the mail during september and october 2001 led to unprecedented public health and law enforcement investigations, which involved thousands of investigators from federal, state, and local agencies. following recognition of the first cases of anthrax in florida in early october 2001, investigators from the centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) and the federal bureau of investigation (fbi) were mobilized to as ...	2002	12396931
collaboration between public health and law enforcement: the constitutional challenge.		2002	12396932
epidemic anthrax in the eighteenth century, the americas.	anthrax has been described as a veterinary disease of minor importance to clinical medicine, causing occasional occupational infections in single cases or clusters. its potential for rapid and widespread epidemic transmission under natural circumstances has not been widely appreciated. a little-known 1770 epidemic that killed 15,000 people in saint-domingue (modern haiti) was probably intestinal anthrax. the epidemic spread rapidly throughout the colony in association with consumption of uncooke ...	2002	12396933
epidemiologic response to anthrax outbreaks: field investigations, 1950-2001.	we used unpublished reports, published manuscripts, and communication with investigators to identify and summarize 49 anthrax-related epidemiologic field investigations conducted by the centers for disease control and prevention from 1950 to august 2001. of 41 investigations in which bacillus anthracis caused human or animal disease, 24 were in agricultural settings, 11 in textile mills, and 6 in other settings. among the other investigations, two focused on building decontamination, one was a r ...	2002	12396934
evaluation and validation of a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for rapid identification of bacillus anthracis.		2002	12396935
industry-related outbreak of human anthrax, massachusetts, 1868.		2002	12396936
[bioterrorism and primary care].		2002	12396947
cutaneous anthrax management algorithm.		2002	12399771
influenza review and outlook. 2002-2003, with additional considerations for differentiation from inhalation anthrax.		2002	12400233
anthrax as a biological weapon, 2002: updated recommendations for management.	to review and update consensus-based recommendations for medical and public health professionals following a bacillus anthracis attack against a civilian population.	2002	11980524
modulating airway defenses against microbes.	prevention and treatment of respiratory infections remain an important health care challenge as the us population ages, contains more susceptible or high-risk people, and encounters new pathogens or antibiotic resistant bacteria. reasonably protective vaccines against very common microbes are available for childhood and adult immunization, but, generally, these are underutilized. a broader definition of higher risk individuals is evolving, which will include more for immunization. different appr ...	2002	11981302
anthrax: is there a risk of cross-infection during endoscopy?	bacillus anthracis is a large, gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium responsible for human anthrax. review of the medical literature indicates specific instrument reprocessing instructions addressing the prevention of b. anthracis transmission are limited. although nosocomial anthrax infection has not been reported, strict adherence to well-established instrument reprocessing guidelines for cleaning and high-level disinfection is recommended to prevent patient-to-patient transmission of b. anth ...	2002	11984163
bioterrorism's invisible threats: heightened awareness will help nurses identify real and suspected bioterrorism.	ready your nursing staff for potential bioterrorism with this review of the symptoms and treatment of anthrax, smallpox, plague, tularemia, and botulism.	2002	11984331
production, recovery and immunogenicity of the protective antigen from a recombinant strain of bacillus anthracis.	the protective antigen (pa) is one of the three components of the anthrax toxin. it is a secreted nontoxic protein with a molecular weight of 83 kda and is the major component of the currently licensed human vaccine for anthrax. due to limitations found in the existing vaccine formulation, it has been proposed that genetically modified pa may be more effective as a vaccine. the expression and the stability of two recombinant pa (rpa) variants, pa-snke-deltaff-e308d and pa-n657a, were studied. th ...	2002	11986925
from woolsorters to mail sorters: anthrax past, present, and future.		2002	11988429
the anthrax vaccine program: an analysis of the cdc's recommendations for vaccine use.	the anthrax vaccine was never proved to be safe and effective. it is one cause of gulf war illnesses, and recent vaccinees report symptoms resembling gulf war illnesses. the vaccine's production has been substandard. without adequate evaluation, the food and drug administration recently approved (retrospectively) significant changes made to the vaccine's composition since 1990. the vaccine's mandatory use for inhalation anthrax is "off-label." a skewed review of the vaccine literature by the cen ...	2002	11988433
anthrax and the wool trade. 1902.		2002	11988441
expected adverse events in a mass smallpox vaccination campaign.	recent anthrax attacks in the united states have raised concern about the nation's vulnerability to a smallpox attack. many strategies have been suggested to minimize the impact of such an attack, ranging from quarantine and vaccination of case contacts to resumption of routine vaccination. before the latter strategy is adopted, an understanding of the likely consequences of mass vaccination is essential. count: number of adverse events resulting from two vaccination campaigns: vaccinating perso ...	2002	11990216
case study: ed acts quickly after anthrax.	after last year's anthrax attacks, eds at capital health system in trenton, nj, had to address decontamination of large numbers of patients. patients who didn't require decontamination were sent to the hospital's employee health facility so they could bypass the ed. clinicians, nursing staff, educators, and paramedics were trained in the decontamination process. direct communication with first responders was established with a portable scanner.	2002	11995230
the lethal and edema factors of anthrax toxin bind only to oligomeric forms of the protective antigen.	the three proteins that comprise anthrax toxin, edema factor (ef), lethal factor (lf), and protective antigen (pa), assemble at the mammalian cell surface into toxic complexes. after binding to its receptor, pa is proteolytically activated, yielding a carboxyl-terminal 63-kda fragment (pa(63)) that coordinates assembly of the complexes, promotes their endocytosis, and translocates ef and lf to the cytosol. pa(63) spontaneously oligomerizes to form symmetric ring-shaped heptamers that are capable ...	2002	11997437
mapping the lethal factor and edema factor binding sites on oligomeric anthrax protective antigen.	assembly of anthrax toxin complexes at the mammalian cell surface involves competitive binding of the edema factor (ef) and lethal factor (lf) to heptameric oligomers and lower order intermediates of pa(63), the activated carboxyl-terminal 63-kda fragment of protective antigen (pa). we used sequence differences between pa(63) and homologous pa-like proteins to delineate a region within domain 1' of pa that may represent the binding site for these ligands. substitution of alanine for any of seven ...	2002	11997439
a peptide-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay for bacillus anthracis lethal factor protease.	a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay has been developed for monitoring bacillus anthracis lethal factor (lf) protease activity. a fluorogenic 16-mer peptide based on the known lf protease substrate mek1 was synthesized and found to be cleaved by the enzyme at the anticipated site. extension of this work to a fluorogenic 19-mer peptide, derived, in part, from a consensus sequence of known lf protease targets, produced a much better substrate, cleaving approximately 100 times more effici ...	2002	11997440
bioterrorism in australia.		2002	11999254
bioterrorism watch. winds of war: researchers track airborne anthrax.		2002	12001564
from the centers for disease control and prevention. suspected cutaneous anthrax in a laboratory worker--texas, 2002.		2002	12001943
post-traumatic stress disorder.		2002	12001959
variation in rrna operon number as revealed by ribotyping of bacillus anthracis strains.	ribotyping of various bacillus strains with one restriction enzyme (acci) revealed significant similarity between bacillus anthracis strains, bacillus thuringiensis and bacillus cereus strains, which are all members of the bacillus cereus group. a further ribotyping study of 10 virulent and 8 attenuated b. anthracis strains, using 4 endonucleases and both 23s and 16s probes independently, was performed. the discrimination index d of hunter and gaston showed that the best combination for future l ...	2002	12002563
follow-up on "symptoms associated with anthrax exposure: suspected 'aborted' anthrax".		2002	12003462
comparative genome sequencing for discovery of novel polymorphisms in bacillus anthracis.	comparison of the whole-genome sequence of bacillus anthracis isolated from a victim of a recent bioterrorist anthrax attack with a reference reveals 60 new markers that include single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps), inserted or deleted sequences, and tandem repeats. genome comparison detected four high-quality snps between the two sequenced b. anthracis chromosomes and seven differences among different preparations of the reference genome. these markers have been tested on a collection of anth ...	2002	12004073
genomics and microbiology. microbial forensics--"cross-examining pathogens".		2002	12004075
anthrax sequence. useful data but no smoking gun.		2002	12004096
a primer on sampling for biological contaminants--part one: science and theory.		2002	12004589
post september 11: some reflections on the role of environmental health in terrorism response.		2002	12004594
our first line of defense against bioterrorism part 2.	in march, part 1 of this two-part series examined the challenges with identifying bioterrorism-specifically the anthrax outbreak. part 2 explains what's being done to equip america's health care providers to recognize and respond to future attacks, while protecting the public.	2002	12006878
expression of anthrax lethal factor gene by osmolyte induction.	the anthrax toxin consists of protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf) and edema factor (ef). pa mediates the entry of lf and ef to the cytosol where they exert their effects. although pa is the major component of the vaccines against anthrax, lf has also been found to play an important role in enhancing protective immunity. we have developed an osmolyte-inducible lf expression system. the protein expression system contributed no additional amino acids to the recombinant lf making it suitable ...	2002	12007822
monitoring anthrax vaccine safety in us military service members on active duty: surveillance of 1998 hospitalizations in temporal association with anthrax immunization.	we compared 1998 hospitalizations in active-duty us military personnel for possible temporal association with anthrax immunization. immunization, demographic, and hospitalization data were analyzed using cox proportional hazards modeling for hospitalization within 42 days of vaccination. discharge diagnoses were aggregated into 14 international classification of disease, ninth revision, clinical modification (icd-9-cm) categories. approximately 11% of subjects received one or more doses of vacci ...	2002	12009293
progress in rapid screening of bacillus anthracis lethal factor activity.		2002	12011416
mailborne transmission of anthrax: modeling and implications.	a mathematical model is developed to analyze the transmission of inhalational anthrax through the postal system by cross-contamination of mail. the model consists of state vectors describing the numbers of cross-contaminated letters generated, the numbers of anthrax spores on these letters, the numbers of resulting infections in recipients, and matrices of transition probabilities acting on these vectors. the model simulates the recent outbreak in the united states, and provides a general framew ...	2002	12011462
[evaluation of the relation between the traditional index on the identification of bacillus anthracis and its virulence determinant genes].	to evaluate the significance of traditional index on the identification of bacillus anthracis and its correlation with pathogenic strains.	2002	12015097
inhalational anthrax.	until recently, inhalational anthrax was a medical curiosity in both the western medical literature and clinical practice. the post-september 11, 2001 outbreak of this disease in the eastern united states that spread through the mail, however, instantly changed the appreciation of this disease and the appreciation of biological terrorism/warfare in general. the microbiology, epidemiology, clinical, and therapeutic/preventative aspects of this entity, classically known as "wool sorter's disease" ...	2002	12015917
cutaneous anthrax: an overview.	the recent acts of bioterrorism have raised new questions about this uncommon disease. clinicians are puzzled as to why some of the victims exposed to bacillus anthracis spores developed the cutaneous form of the disease and others the inhalational form. despite these questions, cutaneous anthrax remains relatively simple to treat effectively. the real clinical challenge lies in the diagnosis, especially being able to distinguish it from a spider bite.	2002	12017087
biological agents as weapons 1: smallpox and botulism.	1. early recognition by clinicians of illnesses suggesting a biological attack is integral to the public health response. 2. the four biological agents of most concern are smallpox virus, botulinum toxin, and anthrax and plague bacteria. 3. smallpox is distinguishable from chickenpox by the prominent prodromal period and lesions that develop at the same pace and, on any part of the body, appear identical to each other, evolve slowly and are peripherally distributed. 4. the degree of protection c ...	2002	12056996
occurrence of anthrax in kars district, turkey.	the aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of anthrax by bacteriologic methods in cattle and sheep between january 2000 and september 2001 and to determine the distribution of this zoonotic disease in humans in kars district, turkey. bacillus anthracis was isolated and identified in 34 out of 38 (91%) cattle and 11 out of 17 (64%) sheep samples obtained from organs suspected of anthrax. the records of the governmental health branch showed that 89 cases of cutaneous anthrax were diagn ...	2002	12061231
self-reported changes in subjective health and anthrax vaccination as reported by over 900 persian gulf war era veterans.	a 1999 study of united kingdom servicemembers by unwin, et al. recently found significant relationships between anthrax and other vaccinations, reactions to those vaccines, and later health problems for male current or former active military gulf war veterans. likewise, in 2000 steele and in 1998 gilroy found possible adverse effects of vaccinations on gulf war veterans. however, the role of such vaccinations remains controversial; more recent government reports continue to dispute the existence ...	2002	12061608
development and application of an analytical method for the determination of squalene in formulations of anthrax vaccine adsorbed.	specific lots of anthrax vaccine adsorbed, administered to members of the us armed forces, have been described on various internet sites and in news articles as a source of squalene, a chemical purported by these media to be associated with the gulf war syndrome. we have developed and validated a method using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection for the determination of squalene in anthrax vaccine preparations. the method has a limit of detection of 140 parts per bil ...	2002	12062677
bioterrorism: what is and what may never be. part 1.		2002	12063832
update: cutaneous anthrax in a laboratory worker--texas, 2002.	on april 5, 2002, cdc reported a case of suspected cutaneous anthrax in a worker at laboratory a who had been processing environmental samples for bacillus anthracis in support of cdc investigations of the 2001 bioterrorist attacks in the united states. since the initial report, the worker had serial serology performed at the cdc laboratory. a greater than fourfold rise from baseline in the concentration of immunoglobulin g to protective antigen was demonstrated. the peak antibody level was obse ...	2002	12064454
biological agents as weapons 2: anthrax and plague.	although most naturally occurring infections with anthrax and plague are cutaneous, both organisms are most likely to be deliberately disseminated in aerosolised form, resulting in severe pulmonary illness. mortality from both would be high and rapid in the absence of early and effective treatment, making swift and effective liaison between alert clinicians and public health authorities crucial to an effective response. differentiating features include mediastinal widening (anthrax) and haemopty ...	2002	12064962
after september 11: rethinking public health federalism.		2002	12066598
sequence analysis of the genes encoding for the major virulence factors of bacillus anthracis vaccine strain 'carbosap'.	this study was performed to analyse the molecular characteristics of genes encoding for the major virulence factors in bacillus anthracis vaccine strain 'carbosap' compared with the wild b. anthracis strain, to evaluate the basis of attenuation.	2002	12067380
bioterrorism: better safe than sorry.		2002	12068488
bioterrorism watch. they don't call it bioterror for nothing: fear is the foe when anthrax spores are found within hospital walls.		2002	12068508