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In the early stages, anthrax is curable by
administering high doses of antibiotics, but in the advanced stages,
it can be fatal. If anthrax is suspected, health care professionals
may begin to treat the patient with antibiotics even before the
diagnosis is confirmed because early intervention is essential. The
antibiotics used include penicillin, doxycycline, and ciprofloxacin.
Because inhaled spores can remain in the body for a long time,
antibiotic treatment for inhalation anthrax should continue for 60
days. In the case of cutaneous anthrax, the infection may be cured
following a single dose of antibiotic, but it is important to
continue treatment so as to avoid potential serious complications,
such as inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal
cord (meningitis). In the setting of potential bioterrorism,
cutaneous anthrax should be treated with a 60-day dose of
antibiotics.
Research is ongoing to develop new antibiotics
and antitoxins that would work against the anthrax bacteria and the
toxins they produce. One Harvard professor, Dr. R. John Collier, and
his team have been testing two possible antitoxins on rats. A
Stanford microbiologist and a Penn State chemist have also been
testing their new antibiotic against the bacteria that cause
brucellosis and tularemia, as well as the bacteria that cause
anthrax. All of these drugs are still in early investigational
stages, however, and it is still unknown how these drugs would
affect humans. |
