On the risk of mortality to primates exposed to anthrax spores.
Current events have heightened the importance of understanding the risks from inhalation exposure to small numbers of spores of Bacillus anthracis. Previously reported data sets have not been fully assessed using current understanding of microbial dose response. This article presents an assessment of the reported primate dose-response data. At low doses, the risk to large populations of low doses of inhaled spores (e.g., < 100) is not insignificant.
Haas
Charles N
CN
School of Environmental Science, Engineering and Policy, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. haas@drexel.edu
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000472:pathogenicity; D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008954:Models, Biological; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000472:pathogenicity