Publications

anthrax: what every coder should know.		2002	12469669
bioterrorism talk.		2002	12469681
secondary aerosolization of viable bacillus anthracis spores in a contaminated us senate office.	bioterrorist attacks involving letters and mail-handling systems in washington, dc, resulted in bacillus anthracis (anthrax) spore contamination in the hart senate office building and other facilities in the us capitol's vicinity.	2002	12472327
dna sequence conservation between the bacillus anthracis pxo2 plasmid and genomic sequence from closely related bacteria.	complete sequencing and annotation of the 96.2 kb bacillus anthracis plasmid, pxo2, predicted 85 open reading frames (orfs). bacillus cereus and bacillus thuringiensis isolates that ranged in genomic similarity to b. anthracis, as determined by amplified fragment length polymorphism (aflp) analysis, were examined by pcr for the presence of sequences similar to 47 pxo2 orfs.	2002	12473162
from the centers for disease control and prevention. use of anthrax vaccine in response to terrorism: supplemental recommendations of the advisory committee on immunization practices.		2002	12476914
development of vaccines for bio-warfare agents.	there is a recognized need for the development of new vaccines (as well as other biologicals and drugs) to counteract the effects of a potential bio-terrorist or bio-warfare event in the u.s. domestic population and military forces. regulation of products to protect against potential bio-warfare agents poses unique challenges since the usual measures of efficacy that require exposure to natural disease may not currently be possible, for epidemiological and ethical reasons. to help to address thi ...	2002	12477312
antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacillus anthracis: comparison of results obtained by using the national committee for clinical laboratory standards broth microdilution reference and etest agar gradient diffusion methods.	we determined the patterns of antimicrobial susceptibility of 65 isolates of bacillus anthracis (50 historical and 15 recent u.s. clinical isolates) to nine antimicrobial agents using the national committee for clinical laboratory standards (nccls) broth microdilution reference method. the results for the 50 historical b. anthracis isolates obtained by the broth microdilution method were compared to those generated by the etest agar gradient diffusion method. one isolate of b. anthracis was beta ...	2002	12037041
scientists placated as us bill gets tough on bioterror.		2002	12037529
protection against anthrax toxin by recombinant antibody fragments correlates with antigen affinity.	the tripartite toxin produced by bacillus anthracis is the key determinant in the etiology of anthrax. we have engineered a panel of toxin-neutralizing antibodies, including single-chain variable fragments (scfvs) and scfvs fused to a human constant kappa domain (scabs), that bind to the protective antigen subunit of the toxin with equilibrium dissociation constants (k(d)) between 63 nm and 0.25 nm. the entire antibody panel showed high serum, thermal, and denaturant stability. in vitro, post-ch ...	2002	12042864
[anthrax due to deliberate infection].		2002	12043452
responding to chemical, biological, or nuclear terrorism: the indirect and long-term health effects may present the greatest challenge.	the possibility of terrorists employing chemical, biological, or nuclear/ radiological (cbn) materials has been a concern since 1995 when sarin gas was dispersed in a tokyo subway. contingency planning almost exclusively involved detection. containment, and emergency health care for mass casualties. however, it is clear that even small-scale cbn incidents--like the recent spread of anthrax spores through the mail--can cause widespread confusion, fear, and psychological stress that have lasting e ...	2002	12043900
landscape with dead sheep: what they did to gruinard island.	in the context of intensified international concern about biological weapons (bw), this article looks at the pioneering british research in this field during the second world war, which caused the long-term contamination of gruinard island in north-west scotland. public record office documents have been examined to show how scientists reported on the experiments at the time and what they thought about their (top secret) work, as well as how politicians directed their efforts and used their resul ...	2002	12044028
bioterrorism watch. they don't call it bioterror for nothing: fear is the foe when anthrax spores are found within hospital walls.		2002	12046239
anthrax vaccine and causality assessment from individual case reports.		2002	12051117
safety of anthrax vaccine: a review by the anthrax vaccine expert committee (avec) of adverse events reported to the vaccine adverse event reporting system (vaers).	to assess the safety of a licensed anthrax vaccine given to nearly 400,000 us military personnel, reports of adverse events (aes) submitted to the vaccine adverse event reporting system (vaers) were reviewed and evaluated medically.	2002	12051118
anthrax vaccination and joint related adverse reactions in light of biological warfare scenarios.	the purpose of this analysis was to evaluate anthrax vaccine (ava) and joint related adverse reactions based upon analysis of the vaers database in light of the current possibility of the use of anthrax as a biological warfare agent.	2002	12051402
[contemporary control of biological warfare].	biological pathogens actually are in the focus of interest as a potential biological weapon in bioterrorist's disposition. in the study the main pathogens and their activity spectrum have been presented. the special attention has been paid upon aerosol way of transmission and its consequences. the possibilities of prevention and treatment of diseases caused by biological pathogens have been also discussed.	2002	12053581
recognizing the real threat of biological terror.	weapons of mass destruction can be used to harm and terrorize populations. such weapons include those with chemical, nuclear or biological properties. obviously computer viruses can add additional barriers to a quick response. the most effective, least costly and greatest threats are biologicals. biological terror is not new, and biological weapons have been used for centuries. however, as a result of modern technology, the risks are greater now and the outcomes more terrible. today they include ...	2002	12053717
lethal toxin of bacillus anthracis causes apoptosis of macrophages.	lethal toxin is a major anthrax virulence factor, causing the rapid death of experimental animals. lethal toxin can enter most cell types, but only certain macrophages and cell lines are susceptible to toxin-mediated cytolysis. we have shown that in murine raw 264.7 cells, sublytic amounts of lethal toxin trigger intracellular signaling events typical for apoptosis, including changes in membrane permeability, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and dna fragmentation. the cells were protect ...	2002	12054607
plague, pressure and politics part of life for cdc leader. how koplan coped with the anthrax outbreak, and a look at his rise to the top. interview by maryn mckenna..		2002	12055950
vaccines against dangerous infections and cancer.		2002	12107018
[anthrax].		2002	12108013
detection of vaccinia virus, herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and bacillus anthracis dna by lightcycler polymerase chain reaction after autoclaving: implications for biosafety of bioterrorism agents.	to determine whether autoclaving suspensions of vaccinia virus, herpes simplex virus (hsv), varicella-zoster virus (vzv), and bacillus anthracis inactivate infectivity of these agents but allow detection of target dna by lightcycler polymerase chain reaction (pcr).	2002	12108599
confronting bioterrorism: physicians on the front line.	the events surrounding september 11, 2001, and its aftermath have compelled the public health and medical community to face the hitherto unfamiliar reality of bioterrorism. physicians and public health personnel are frontline soldiers in this new form of warfare. this article provides a general overview of the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of patients infected with the 6 highest priority agents that could potentially be used in bioterrorism. the diseases discu ...	2002	12108604
application of rapid-cycle real-time polymerase chain reaction for the detection of microbial pathogens: the mayo-roche rapid anthrax test.	rapid-cycle real-time polymerase chain reaction has immediate and important implications for diagnostic testing in the clinical microbiology laboratory. in our experience this novel testing method has outstanding performance characteristics. the sensitivities for detecting microorganisms frequently exceed standard culture-based assays, and the time required to complete the assays is considerably shorter than that required for culture-based assays. we describe the principle of real-time polymeras ...	2002	12108605
asp 187 and phe 190 residues in lethal factor are required for the expression of anthrax lethal toxin activity.	anthrax toxin consists of three proteins, protective antigen, lethal factor, and edema factor. protective antigen translocates lethal factor and edema factor to the cytosol of mammalian cells. the amino-termini of lethal factor and edema factor have several homologous stretches. these regions are presumably involved in binding to protective antigen. in the present study we have determined the role of one such homologous stretch in lethal factor. residues 187aspleuleuphe190 were replaced by alani ...	2002	12113932
immunological responses are not abnormal in symptomatic gulf war veterans.	the underlying etiology and pathogenesis of gulf war veterans' illnesses continue to be under intense investigation. reports have suggested the basis for these illnesses may be an altered immune system, but compelling evidence is lacking. we sought to determine whether in vitro immune responses were abnormal in symptomatic gulf war veterans relative to matched controls. a randomized case-control study was conducted by blinded comparison of laboratory measures of in vitro immune responses in bloo ...	2002	12114290
microbiology. a binding contract for anthrax.		2002	12114612
effect of electrical charges and fields on injury and viability of airborne bacteria.	in this study, the effects of the electric charges and fields on the viability of airborne microorganisms were investigated. the electric charges of different magnitude and polarity were imparted on airborne microbial cells by a means of induction charging. the airborne microorganisms carrying different electric charge levels were then extracted by an electric mobility analyzer and collected using a microbial sampler. it was found that the viability of pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria, used as a ...	2002	12115440
[anthrax as biological warfare weapon].	anthrax-disease of herbivorous animals, occasionally affecting humans, is regarded as an ideal biowarfare weapon. this was witnessed during a tragic accident in swierdłowsk some time ago and nowadays it has been observed among post office workers in the usa. depending on the way the pathogen enters the body, several forms of disease develops: skin anthrax specific for the man (with mortality up to 20%), intestinal anthrax resulting from the consumption of infected food or flash of infected anima ...	2002	12116908
identification of amino acid residues of anthrax protective antigen involved in binding with lethal factor.	protective antigen (pa) and lethal factor (lf) are the two components of anthrax lethal toxin. pa is responsible for the translocation of lf to the cytosol. the binding of lf to cell surface receptor-bound pa is a prerequisite for the formation of lethal toxin. it has been hypothesized that hydrophobic residues p184, l187, f202, l203, p205, i207, i210, w226, and f236 of domain 1b of pa play an important role in the binding of pa to lf. these residues are normally buried in the 83-kda version of ...	2002	12117959
broadway: anthrax threat intensifies focus on disaster preparedness.		2002	12119826
virtual screening using grid computing: the screensaver project.		2002	12120261
preparedness of the israeli health system for a biologic warfare event.	the threat of a disease outbreak resulting from biologic warfare has been of concern for the israeli health system for many years. in order to be prepared for such an event the health system has formulated doctrines for various biologic agents and defined the logistic elements for the procurement of drugs. during the last 4 years, and especially after the west nile fever epidemic in 2000, efforts to prepare the healthcare system and the relevant organizations were accelerated. the director-gener ...	2002	12120458
the epidemiologic pyramid of bioterrorism.	recent events have drawn world attention to "mythological diseases"--such as anthrax, plague and smallpox--which have been out of the spotlight for some decades. much of our current knowledge of epidemic intervention and disease prevention was acquired over history through our experience with these diseases, such that the sudden panic over the reemergence of these historically well-known entities is perplexing. over time, changes in the balance of the epidemiologic triangle have driven each of t ...	2002	12120459
threats in bioterrorism. i: cdc category a agents.	although once considered unlikely, bioterrorism is now a reality in the united states since the anthrax cases began appearing in the fall of 2001. intelligence sources indicate there are many countries and terrorist organizations that either possess biological weapons or are attempting to procure them. in the future it is likely that we will experience additional acts of bioterrorism. the cdc category a agents represent our greatest challenge because they have the potential to cause grave harm t ...	2002	12120480
medical management of the suspected victim of bioterrorism: an algorithmic approach to the undifferentiated patient.	we have purposely expanded on the well-known atls paradigm to aid ehcps in their approach to a potential bioterrorism event. by building on a process that is already familiar, we hope this will aid the ehcp to remember a systematic approach to such an incident. by following this ten-step process, we believe that all ehcps, and especially those practicing at the first echelons of care in urgent care clinics and eds, can approach the daunting problem of biological defense with a good deal more con ...	2002	12120483
bioterrorism preparedness. iii: state and federal programs and response.	management of a bioterrorism event will begin with early detection and intervention at the local level. any large-scale event will require rapid state and federal assistance. federal initiatives targeting bioterrorism have increasingly become a complex web of executive and legislative actions, frequently initiated in reaction to specific events, and often unrelated to this threat. multiple executive and legislative branch actions have resulted in a proliferation of federal programs, and coordina ...	2002	12120488
development of an improved vaccine for anthrax.		2002	12122102
[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
an outbreak of web sites selling ciprofloxacin following an outbreak of anthrax by mail.		2002	12401538
anthrax: what should the otolaryngologist know?		2002	12403119
an anthrax "smoke" detector. online monitoring of aerosolized bacterial spores.		2002	12405057
night of two town meetings.		2002	12405129
anthrax peritonitis.		2002	12405320
evolution of signalling in the sporulation phosphorelay.	two-component and phosphorelay signal transduction systems are believed to function as environ-mental sensors that programme gene expression to the composition of the ecological niche in which a microbe normally resides. the question of how evolutionarily related bacteria that occupy different environments change their signal transduction pathways to adapt to such environments was asked of the sporulation phosphorelay of bacillus subtilis, bacillus halodurans, bacillus anthracis and bacillus ste ...	2002	12406209
scientific evidence supports anthrax vaccination.		2002	12406785
protocol for real-time pcr identification of anthrax spores from nasal swabs after broth enrichment.	a mass-screening protocol for the diagnosis of anthrax from nasal swabs based on an enrichment step in liquid medium was devised. incubation for growth was performed in autoclavable vials and racks which allow real-time pcr analysis of sterilized cultures. a dual-color pcr was set up with primers and probes for the chromosomal marker rpob and the plasmid marker lef. specific primer and probe sets were designed for the differentiation of bacillus anthracis from b. cereus and for the differentiati ...	2002	12409358
pcr-based detection of bacillus anthracis in formalin-fixed tissue from a patient receiving ciprofloxacin.	we demonstrate that bacillus anthracis may be detected from a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsy specimen, even after the patient has received antibiotic treatment. although traditional pcr methods may not be sufficiently sensitive for anthrax detection in such patients, cycle numbers can be increased or pcr can be repeated by using an aliquot from a previous pcr as the template.	2002	12409432
real-time pcr assay for rapid detection of bacillus anthracis spores in clinical samples.		2002	12409444
public health nursing practice: aftermath of september 11, 2001.	america's experience on september 11, 2001, forms the backdrop of this review of the public health nursing role in bioterrorism preparedness. the risks and challenges to the public health infrastructure are reviewed in order to place bioterrorism preparedness in a public health context. a review of the literature provides background material on the extent to which public health has evolved in planning for a bioterrorism event. the skills and competencies that will prepare public health nurses in ...	2002	12410635
smallpox vaccine policy: the national debate.	as a result of the 2001 anthrax attacks, the u.s. government is trying to forge a plan to handle something much worse: an outbreak of smallpox due to terrorist activity. here's a look at where the debate stands today.	2002	12416388
sleuth without a badge.		2002	12416443
a novel class of self-sufficient cytochrome p450 monooxygenases in prokaryotes.	the bacillus cytochrome p450 bm3 integrates an entire p450 system in one polypeptide and represents a convenient prokaryotic model for microsomal p450s. this self-sufficient class ii p450 is also present in actinomycetes and fungi. by genome analysis we have identified additional homologues in the pathogenic species bacillus anthracis and bacillus cereus, and in ralstonia metallidurans. this analysis also revealed a novel class of putative self-sufficient p450s, p450 pfor, comprising a class i p ...	2002	12419614
biological terrorism against animals and humans: a brief review and primer for action.		2002	12420822
science education: put your lab in a different class.		2002	12422180
terrorism. guarding against biological agents.		2002	12422379
[bioterrorism: the role of veterinarians in detection and prevention].	the fear of terrorist attacks has increased since the events of 11 september 2001 in new york. in the weeks following the terrorist attack, letters containing anthrax spores were received at various locations in the usa. this shows that bioterrorism is possible and that is necessary to be prepared for the potential release of biological agents. such agents can be distributed not only via the air and drinking water but also via household pets. the aim of terrorist attacks, namely, the disruption ...	2002	12425213
structural analysis and evidence for dynamic emergence of bacillus anthracis s-layer networks.	surface layers (s-layers), which form the outermost layers of many bacteria and archaea, consist of protein molecules arranged in two-dimensional crystalline arrays. bacillus anthracis, a gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium, responsible for anthrax, synthesizes two abundant surface proteins: sap and ea1. regulatory studies showed that ea1 and sap appear sequentially at the surface of the parental strain. sap and ea1 can form arrays. the structural parameters of s-layers from mutant strains (e ...	2002	12426331
anthrax, mek and cancer.	the mek family of protein kinases plays key roles in regulating cellular responses to mitogens as well as environmental stress. inappropriate activation of these kinases contributes to tumorigenesis. in contrast, anthrax lethal factor, the principal virulence factor of anthrax toxin, has been demonstrated to selectively inactivate meks. in this article we will discuss recent advances in our understanding of molecular aspects of the pathogenesis of anthrax, emphasizing the potential role of mek s ...	2002	12429903
biological terrorism: understanding the threat, preparation, and medical response.	the thought of an outbreak of disease caused by the intentional release of a pathogen or toxin in an american city was alien just 10 years ago. many people believed that biological warfare was only in the military's imagination, perhaps to be faced by soldiers on a far-away battlefield, if at all. the "anthrax letters" and the resulting deaths from inhalation anthrax have changed that perception. the national, state, and local governments in the united states are preparing for what is now called ...	2002	12429949
the prophylaxis and treatment of anthrax.	bacillus anthracis infection can occur in three forms: cutaneous, gastrointestinal and inhalation depending on the mode of infection. anthrax is a zoonotic disease but the inhalation form can also be used as a biological warfare agent. the recent mail spread outbreak of bioterrorism-related infections in the usa prompted the introduction of specific guidelines by the usa centers for disease control and prevention. postexposure prophylaxis is indicated to prevent inhalational anthrax, and therapy ...	2002	12431866
in-vitro characterisation of the phagocytosis and fate of anthrax spores in macrophages and the effects of anti-pa antibody.	antibodies (abs) to the protective antigen (pa) component of the anthrax toxins have anti-spore as well as anti-toxin activities. anti-pa antisera and purified anti-pa abs enhance the phagocytosis by murine-derived macrophages (mqs) of spores of the ames and sterne strains and retard the germination of extracellular spores in vitro. the fate after phagocytosis of untreated and anti-pa-treated spores was further studied in culture medium that supported phagocytosis without stimulating spore germi ...	2002	12435060
anthrax toxin: a tripartite lethal combination.	anthrax is a severe bacterial infection that occurs when bacillus anthracis spores gain access into the body and germinate in macrophages, causing septicemia and toxemia. anthrax toxin is a binary a-b toxin composed of protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf), and edema factor (ef). pa mediates the entry of either lf or ef into the cytosol of host cells. lf is a zinc metalloprotease that inactivates mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inducing cell death, and ef is an adenylyl cyclase imp ...	2002	12435580
antimicrobial susceptibilities of diverse bacillus anthracis isolates.	a test of 25 genetically diverse isolates of bacillus anthracis was conducted to determine their susceptibility to seven clinically relevant antimicrobial agents. etest strips (ab biodisk, solna, sweden) were used to measure the mics for the isolates. using the national committee for clinical laboratory standards mic breakpoints for staphylococci, three isolates were found to be resistant to penicillin and five were found to be resistant to cefuroxime. the penicillin-resistant isolates were nega ...	2002	12435686