Anthrax
Alternative Names
Wool sorter's disease; Ragpicker's disease
Prevention
There are two main ways to prevent anthrax.
For people who have been exposed to anthrax (but have no symptoms of the disease), doctors may prescribe preventive antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin, penicillin, or doxycycline, depending on the strain of anthrax.
An anthrax vaccine is available to certain military personnel, but not to the general public. It is given in a series of six doses. There is no known way to spread cutaneous anthrax from person to person. People who live with someone who has cutaneous anthrax don't need antibiotics unless they have also been exposed to the same source of anthrax.
References
Reissman DB, Whitney EA, Taylor TH Jr, et al. One-Year Health Assessment of Adult Survivors of Bacillus anthracis Infection.JAMA. 2004;291:1994-1998.
Inglesby TV, O'Toole T, Henderson DA, et al. Anthrax as a Biological Weapon, 2002. JAMA.160;2002;287:2236-2252.
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