Anthrax continues to occur in certain places around the world, with an estimated 20,000–100,000 cases occurring annually. Bacillus anthracis is considered the most likely bioweapon to be used during a bioterrorist event. To help protect the public’s health, CDC has published updated recommendations for the prevention and treatment of anthrax.
The guidance includes best practices for the clinical management of anthrax, including anthrax meningitis. The updated recommendations include an expanded list of alternate antimicrobial drugs to use if first-line drugs are depleted following a bioterrorism event, ineffective against a genetically engineered resistant B. anthracis strain, or not tolerated by some people.
Clinicians and public health professionals should use these recommendations to prevent and treat anthrax and to improve emergency preparedness efforts for bioterrorism events involving a wide-area release of B. anthracis into the air.