Evaluation of the anthraxin skin test for diagnosis of acute and past human anthrax.
A skin test for the diagnosis of human anthrax was evaluated as an alternative to bacteriological confirmation of human anthrax, which is possible in 10-40% of cases within the first three weeks of the disease only. The anthraxin skin test, which detects anthrax cell-mediated immunity, was positive in 81.8% of cases in the first three days of the disease, and in 97-99% of cases in the next two to three weeks. The positivity rate was 98.5% in the first 1.5 months of convalescence, 92.8% in the next 3 years, 82.8% in the following 4 to 15 years, and 72.7% 16 to 31 years after recovery. Thus, the anthraxin skin test appears to be a valuable method for early diagnosis of acute anthrax as well as the only method available for retrospective diagnosis of human anthrax.
Shlyakhov
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Infectious Diseases Unit, Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Rubinstein
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D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000881:Anthrax / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000276:immunology*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012882:Skin Tests; D013997:Time Factors