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Biological agents as weapons 2: anthrax and plague
Author(s) -
Whitby Michael,
Ruff Tilman A,
Street Alan C,
Fenner Frank
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04594.x
Subject(s) - plague (disease) , biological warfare , tularemia , doxycycline , medicine , ciprofloxacin , public health , intensive care medicine , yersinia pestis , pandemic , medical emergency , covid-19 , environmental health , virology , disease , antibiotics , infectious disease (medical specialty) , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , toxicology , pathology , biochemistry , virulence , gene
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 haemoptysis (plague). Doxycycline and ciprofloxacin are effective agents for prophylaxis and treatment for both diseases. Medical advocacy for strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention, particularly with an enforceable protocol including verification and compliance provisions, is needed.