Frequently
Asked Questions
What
is anthrax?
Anthrax is a bacterial, zoonotic disease caused by
Bacillus Anthracis. The serious forms of human anthrax are inhalation
anthrax, cutaneous anthrax, and intestinal anthrax. Early antibiotic
treatment of anthrax is essential - delay lessens chances for
survival. Anthrax most commonly occurs in hoofed mammals and can
also infect humans.
What
are the symptoms of anthrax?
After an incubation period of 1-7 days, the onset of inhalation
anthrax is gradual. Possible symptoms include fever, malaise,
fatigue, cough or mild chest discomfort followed by severe respiratory
distress.
Is
there an approved treatment for anthrax?
Yes. Three types of antibiotics are approved for anthrax: ciprofloxacin,
tetracyclines (including doxycycline) and penicillins. For people
who have been exposed to anthrax, but do not have symptoms, one
of these methods will be used for 60 days to reduce the risk or
progression of disease due to inhaled anthrax.
How
can I get a vaccine or antibiotics to protect me against anthrax?
The course of action for preventing anthrax after exposure
in the general population would be with antibiotics. Vaccination
is not recommended. The vaccine is not available to health care
providers or the general public. We do not recommend that physicians
prescribe antibiotics for anthrax at this time. We currently have
enough antibiotics to prevent the disease the disease in 2 million
people exposed to anthrax. Therefore, we could rapidly get preventive
medicine to those who may be affected by this disease. Anthrax
does not spread from person to person.
Does
the government have a plan to make Cipro available?
Yes. Under emergency plans, the Federal Government would ship
appropriate antibiotics from its stockpile to the necessary locations.
Should
I ask my physician to prescribe Cipro just in case I need it later?
No. Any needed antibiotics from the current stockpile will be
made available as needed. In the meantime, Cipro should not be
prescribed unless there is a clearly indicated need, so that the
drug will be available as the need arises. The FDA is strongly
recommending that physicians not prescribe Cipro for patients
to have on hand.
How
can I get vaccinated against smallpox?
Smallpox vaccine is not available. The vaccine is not recommended
anyway. There is no confirmed case of smallpox anywhere in the
world, so there is no need to be vaccinated against smallpox.
Also, there could be severe side effects to the smallpox vaccine.
This is another reason we do not recommend vaccination. In the
event of an outbreak, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has clear guidelines to swiftly provide vaccine to people
exposed to smallpox. Vaccine given within four days after exposure
can lessen the severity of or even prevent illness. The vaccine
is securely stored for use in the case of an outbreak. In addition,
Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson recently
announced plans to speed up production of a new smallpox vaccine.
What
can I do?
We continue to hear stories of people buying gas masks and
hoarding medicine in anticipation of a possible bioterrorist or
chemical attack. We do not recommend that the public do this.
As Secretary Thompson said recently, people should not be scared
into thinking they need a gas mask. If an immediate action on
your part was needed to protect your health from a disease outbreak,
that information would be made public through your local and state
health departments.
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