Anthrax: Family Defence Against Anthrax

Anthrax is the most likely bioterror agent, and a number of attempted attacks and accidental release from facilities have documented the nature of the threat, although most attacks, including eight separate attacks in Japan, have fizzled. Some worst-case casualty estimates have projected hundreds of thousands of deaths. These assumed an airborne release of a large quantity of anthrax spores upwind of a large population area where everybody was outside and nobody had antibiotics.

Your need for advance preparation is guided by the likelihood of a mass exposure which will overwhelm medical facilities in the area for some time, for most people, who do not live in a likely target area, no preparation is needed.

Imagine the air conditioning aerosolized spores, an emergency room with thousands of people in line, an illness which can progress in hours and relatively limited supplies of antibiotics in the immediate area. This mass exposure scenario is the only situation where you should begin antibiotics prevention by yourself at home from your emergency supply.

Authorities differ in their views on individuals having their own antibiotic supplies. Some believe that individuals cannot make informed decisions on their own, some are concerned that there could be an antibiotic shortage if everyone stocked up. And some fear an increase in the problem of antibiotic resistance. We believe that it is not unreasonable for families in metropolitan areas to consider maintaining a small antibiotic supply for use by the family unit in an emergency.

What antibiotic do you need? Doxycycline and Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) are the preferred options. For children, Cipro is the recommended choice for initial treatment, despite some fears of possible arthritis. Doxycycline can cause mottling of teeth in children under age nine and may slow skeletal growth in infants.

You can certainly discuss this issue with your physician at your next regularly scheduled appointment. Be sure that you describe any drug allergies. If the decision is made to prescribe medicines, set these antibiotics aside and do not use them for anything else. Discard when outdated.

Depending on the circumstances, you are likely to get official recommendations for preventive antibiotics over the media, which you should follow. If your family chances of significant exposure are remote, the recommendation may be not to use antibiotics. If antibiotic are not recommended over the media, do not take them. If you do not receive official recommendations, you may have to make the decision on your own.

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