Rapid in vitro activity of telavancin against Bacillus anthracis and in vivo protection against inhalation anthrax infection in the rabbit model.

Inhalation anthrax is the most severe form of Bacillus anthracis infection, often progressing to fatal conditions if left untreated. While recommended antibiotics can effectively treat anthrax when promptly administered, strains engineered for antibiotic resistance could render these drugs ineffective. Telavancin, a semisynthetic lipoglycopeptide antibiotic, was evaluated in this study as a novel therapeutic against anthrax disease. Specifically, the aims were to (i) assess in vitro potency of telavancin against 17 B. anthracis isolates by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing and (ii) evaluate protective efficacy in rabbits infected with a lethal dose of aerosolized anthrax spores and treated with human-equivalent intravenous telavancin doses (30 mg/kg every 12 hours) for 5 days post-antigen detection versus a humanized dose of levofloxacin and vehicle control. Blood samples were collected at various times post-infection to assess the level of bacteremia and antibody production, and tissues were collected to determine bacterial load. The animals' body temperatures were also recorded. Telavancin demonstrated potent bactericidal activity against all strains tested (MICs 0.06-0.125 µg/mL). Further, telavancin conveyed 100% survival in this model and cleared B. anthracis from the bloodstream and organ tissues more effectively than a humanized dose of levofloxacin. Collectively, the low MICs against all strains tested and rapid bactericidal in vivo activity demonstrate that telavancin has the potential to be an effective alternative for the treatment or prophylaxis of anthrax infection.

Clindamycin Protects Nonhuman Primates Against Inhalational Anthrax But Does Not Enhance Reduction of Circulating Toxin Levels When Combined With Ciprofloxacin.

BACKGROUND: Inhalational anthrax is rare and clinical experience limited. Expert guidelines recommend treatment with combination antibiotics including protein synthesis-inhibitors to decrease toxin production and increase survival, although evidence is lacking. METHODS: Rhesus macaques exposed to an aerosol of Bacillus anthracis spores were treated with ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, or ciprofloxacin + clindamycin after becoming bacteremic. Circulating anthrax lethal factor and protective antigen were quantitated pretreatment and 1.5 and 12 hours after beginning antibiotics. RESULTS: In the clindamycin group, 8 of 11 (73%) survived demonstrating its efficacy for the first time in inhalational anthrax, compared to 9 of 9 (100%) with ciprofloxacin, and 8 of 11 (73%) with ciprofloxacin + clindamycin. These differences were not statistically significant. There were no significant differences between groups in lethal factor or protective antigen levels from pretreatment to 12 hours after starting antibiotics. Animals that died after clindamycin had a greater incidence of meningitis compared to those given ciprofloxacin or ciprofloxacin + clindamycin, but numbers of animals were very low and no definitive conclusion could be reached. CONCLUSION: Treatment of inhalational anthrax with clindamycin was as effective as ciprofloxacin in the nonhuman primate. Addition of clindamycin to ciprofloxacin did not enhance reduction of circulating toxin levels.

Human anthrax in Turkey: A ten years' experience (2009-2018).

Anthrax is a notifiable disease in Turkey. In order to control the human disease, animal foci are being monitored and prevention and control activities are being implemented by the Ministry of Health in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The objective of our study was to evaluate the national surveillance data and control activities in the last decade. A total of 1174 anthrax cases and 9 deaths have been reported. Anthrax was frequent in eastern provinces and in big cities where large animal movements were significant. The incidence rate was 1.5 times higher in males than in females. The disease was more common in the 30-64 age group. The number of cases increased in the summer and autumn seasons. Human anthrax is still being reported though in decreasing numbers in Turkey. A collaborative control programme continues to be needed.

Progress towards the Development of a NEAT Vaccine for Anthrax II: Immunogen Specificity and Alum Effectiveness in an Inhalational Model.

Bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax disease, presents with high mortality, and has been at the center of bioweapon efforts. The only currently U.S. FDA-approved vaccine to prevent anthrax in humans is anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA), which is protective in several animal models and induces neutralizing antibodies against protective antigen (PA), the cell-binding component of anthrax toxin. However, AVA requires a five-course regimen to induce immunity, along with an annual booster, and is composed of undefined culture supernatants from a PA-secreting strain. In addition, it appears to be ineffective against strains that lack anthrax toxin. Here, we investigated a vaccine formulation consisting of recombinant proteins from a surface-localized heme transport system containing near-iron transporter (NEAT) domains and its efficacy as a vaccine for anthrax disease. The cocktail of five NEAT domains was protective against a lethal challenge of inhaled bacillus spores at 3 and 28 weeks after vaccination. The reduction of the formulation to three NEATs (IsdX1, IsdX2, and Bslk) was as effective as a five-NEAT domain cocktail. The adjuvant alum, approved for use in humans, was as protective as Freund's Adjuvant, and protective vaccination correlated with increased anti-NEAT antibody reactivity and reduced bacterial levels in organs. Finally, the passive transfer of anti-NEAT antisera reduced mortality and disease severity, suggesting the protective component is comprised of antibodies. Collectively, these results provide evidence that a vaccine based upon recombinant NEAT proteins should be considered in the development of a next-generation anthrax vaccine.

Evaluation of liposomal ciprofloxacin formulations in a murine model of anthrax.

The in vivo efficacy of liposomal encapsulated ciprofloxacin in two formulations, lipoquin and apulmiq, were evaluated against the causative agent of anthrax, Bacillus anthracis. Liposomal encapsulated ciprofloxacin is attractive as a therapy since it allows for once daily dosing and achieves higher concentrations of the antibiotic at the site of initial mucosal entry but lower systemic drug concentrations. The in vivo efficacy of lipoquin and apulmiq delivered by intranasal instillation was studied at different doses and schedules in both a post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) therapy model and in a delayed treatment model of murine inhalational anthrax. In the mouse model of infection, the survival curves for all treatment cohorts differed significantly from the vehicle control. Ciprofloxacin, lipoquin and apulmiq provided a high level of protection (87-90%) after 7 days of therapy when administered within 24 hours of exposure. Reducing therapy to only three days still provided protection of 60-87%, if therapy was provided within 24 hours of exposure. If treatment was initiated 48 hours after exposure the survival rate was reduced to 46-65%. These studies suggest that lipoquin and apulmiq may be attractive therapies as PEP and as part of a treatment cocktail for B. anthracis.

Recurrent Anthrax Outbreaks in Humans, Livestock, and Wildlife in the Same Locality, Kenya, 2014-2017.

Epidemiologic data indicate a global distribution of anthrax outbreaks associated with certain ecosystems that promote survival and viability of Bacillus anthracis spores. Here, we characterized three anthrax outbreaks involving humans, livestock, and wildlife that occurred in the same locality in Kenya between 2014 and 2017. Clinical and epidemiologic data on the outbreaks were collected using active case finding and review of human, livestock, and wildlife health records. Information on temporal and spatial distribution of prior outbreaks in the area was collected using participatory epidemiology. The 2014-2017 outbreaks in Nakuru West subcounty affected 15 of 71 people who had contact with infected cattle (attack rate = 21.1%), including seven with gastrointestinal, six with cutaneous, and two with oropharyngeal forms of the disease. Two (13.3%) gastrointestinal human anthrax cases died. No human cases were associated with infected wildlife. Of the 54 cattle owned in 11 households affected, 20 died (attack rate = 37%). The 2015 outbreak resulted in death of 10.5% of the affected herbivorous wildlife at Lake Nakuru National Park, including 745 of 4,500 African buffaloes (species-specific mortality rate = 17%) and three of 18 endangered white rhinos (species-specific mortality rate = 16%). The species mortality rate ranged from 1% to 5% for the other affected wildlife species. Participatory epidemiology identified prior outbreaks between 1973 and 2011 in the same area. The frequency and severity of outbreaks in this area suggests that it is an anthrax hotspot ideal for investigating risk factors associated with long-term survival of anthrax spores and outbreak occurrence.

A bivalent protein r-PB, comprising PA and BclA immunodominant regions for comprehensive protection against Bacillus anthracis.

Anthrax infection is primarily initiated by B. anthracis endospores that on entry into the host germinate to vegetative cells and cause severe bacteremia and toxaemia employing an array of host colonisation factors and the lethal tripartite toxin. The protective efficacy of conventional protective antigen (PA) based anthrax vaccines is improved by co-administration with inactivated spores or its components. In the present study, using structural vaccinology rationale we synthesized a bivalent protein r-PB encompassing toxin (PAIV) and spore components (BclACTD) and characterized its protective efficacy against B. anthracis infection. Active immunization of mice with r-PB generated high titer circulating antibodies which facilitated the phagocytic uptake of spores, inhibited their germination to vegetative cells and completely neutralized anthrax toxins in vivo resulting in 100 % survival against anthrax toxin challenge. Proliferation of CD4+ T cell subsets with up-regulation of Th1 (IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-12), Th2 (IL-5, IL-10) cytokines and balanced expression of IgG1:IgG2a antibody isotypes indicated the stimulation of both Th1 and Th2 subsets. The immunized mice exhibited 100 % survival upon challenge with B. anthracis spores or toxin indicating the ability of r-PB to provide comprehensive protection against anthrax. Our results thus demonstrate r-PB an efficient vaccine candidate against anthrax infection.

Characterisation of the antibacterial properties of the recombinant phage endolysins AP50-31 and LysB4 as potent bactericidal agents against Bacillus anthracis.

The recombinant phage endolysins AP50-31 and LysB4 were developed using genetic information from bacteriophages AP50 and B4 and were produced by microbial cultivation followed by chromatographic purification. Subsequently, appropriate formulations were developed that provided an acceptable stability of the recombinant endolysins. The bacteriolytic properties of the formulated endolysins AP50-31 and LysB4 against several bacterial strains belonging to the Bacillus genus including Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) strains were examined. AP50-31 and LysB4 displayed rapid bacteriolytic activity and broad bacteriolytic spectra within the Bacillus genus, including bacteriolytic activity against all the B. anthracis strains tested. When administered intranasally, LysB4 completely protected A/J mice from lethality after infection with the spores of B. anthracis Sterne. When examined at 3 days post-infection, bacterial counts in the major organs (lung, liver, kidney, and spleen) were significantly lower compared with those of the control group that was not treated with endolysin. In addition, histopathological examinations revealed a marked improvement of pathological features in the LysB4-treated group. The results of this study support the idea that phage endolysins are promising candidates for developing therapeutics against anthrax infection.

Development of Protective Immunity in New Zealand White Rabbits Challenged with Bacillus anthracis Spores and Treated with Antibiotics and Obiltoxaximab, a Monoclonal Antibody against Protective Antigen.

The recommended management of inhalational anthrax, a high-priority bioterrorist threat, includes antibiotics and antitoxins. Obiltoxaximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody against anthrax protective antigen (PA), is licensed under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Animal Rule for the treatment of inhalational anthrax. Because of spore latency, disease reemergence after treatment cessation is a concern, and there is a need to understand the development of endogenous protective immune responses following antitoxin-containing anthrax treatment regimens. Here, acquired protective immunity was examined in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits challenged with a targeted lethal dose of Bacillus anthracis spores and treated with antibiotics, obiltoxaximab, or a combination of both. Survivors of the primary challenge were rechallenged 9 months later and monitored for survival. Survival rates after primary and rechallenge for controls and animals treated with obiltoxaximab, levofloxacin, or a combination of both were 0, 65, 100, and 95%, and 0, 100, 95, and 89%, respectively. All surviving immune animals had circulating antibodies to PA and serum toxin-neutralizing titers prior to rechallenge. Following rechallenge, systemic bacteremia and toxemia were not detected in most animals, and the levels of circulating anti-PA IgG titers increased starting at 5 days postrechallenge. We conclude that treatment with obiltoxaximab, alone or combined with antibiotics, significantly improves the survival of rabbits that received a lethal inhalation B. anthracis spore challenge dose and does not interfere with the development of immunity. Survivors of primary challenge are protected against reexposure, have rare incidents of systemic bacteremia and toxemia, and have evidence of an anamnestic response.

Low antibody prevalence against Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, indicates high rate of lethal infections in wildlife.

Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis (Bcbva) is a member of the B. cereus group which carries both B. anthracis virulence plasmids, causes anthrax-like disease in various wildlife species and was described in several sub-Saharan African rainforests. Long-term monitoring of carcasses in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, revealed continuous wildlife mortality due to Bcbva in a broad range of mammalian species. While non-lethal anthrax infections in wildlife have been described for B. anthracis, nothing is known about the odds of survival following an anthrax infection caused by Bcbva. To address this gap, we present the results of a serological study of anthrax in five wildlife species known to succumb to Bcbva in this ecosystem. Specific antibodies were only detected in two out of 15 wild red colobus monkeys (Procolobus badius) and one out of 10 black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus polykomos), but in none of 16 sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys), 9 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and 9 Maxwell's duikers (Cephalophus maxwellii). The combination of high mortality and low antibody detection rates indicates high virulence of this disease across these different mammalian species.

Role of Food Insecurity in Outbreak of Anthrax Infections among Humans and Hippopotamuses Living in a Game Reserve Area, Rural Zambia.

In September 2011, a total of 511 human cases of anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) infection and 5 deaths were reported in a game management area in the district of Chama, Zambia, near where 85 hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibious) had recently died of suspected anthrax. The human infections generally responded to antibiotics. To clarify transmission, we conducted a cross-sectional, interviewer-administered household survey in villages where human anthrax cases and hippopotamuses deaths were reported. Among 284 respondents, 84% ate hippopotamus meat before the outbreak. Eating, carrying, and preparing meat were associated with anthrax infection. Despite the risk, 23% of respondents reported they would eat meat from hippopotamuses found dead again because of food shortage (73%), lack of meat (12%), hunger (7%), and protein shortage (5%). Chronic food insecurity can lead to consumption of unsafe foods, leaving communities susceptible to zoonotic infection. Interagency cooperation is necessary to prevent outbreaks by addressing the root cause of exposure, such as food insecurity.

ANTHRAX IN THE MACKENZIE WOOD BISON (BISON BISON ATHABASCAE) POPULATION: 2012 ANTHRAX OUTBREAK AND HISTORICAL EXPOSURE IN NONOUTBREAK YEARS.

Anthrax, caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, poses a threat to wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) conservation. We used descriptive epidemiology to characterize a large outbreak of anthrax in the Mackenzie bison population in the Northwest Territories, Canada, in 2012 and investigated historical serologic exposure of the bison to the bacterium in nonoutbreak years. Between late June and early August 2012, 451 bison carcasses were detected; mortality peaked from 13-19 July. A substantial number of calves, yearlings, and adult females died in the 2012 outbreak, unlike in two previous anthrax outbreaks in this population that killed mostly mature males. On the basis of the difference in estimates of population size prior to the outbreak (2012) and after the outbreak (2013), it is possible that not all dead bison were found during the outbreak. We assessed serologic history of exposure to B. anthracis by using samples from the Mackenzie wood bison population collected between 1986 and 2009. Overall, 87 of 278 samples were positive (31%). Seroprevalence was lower in females (18%, 10/55) than males (36%, 72/203). The highest proportion of positive submissions (90%) was from 1994, the year following the only anthrax outbreak within the historical data set. Both adult males and females had a higher likelihood of being seropositive than the younger age categories. There was a trend toward declining antibody levels between the 1993 and 2012 outbreak years.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical trials testing anti-toxin therapies for B. anthracis infection: A need for more robust study designs and results.

BACKGROUND: B. anthracis anti-toxin agents are approved and included in the Strategic National Stockpile based primarily on animal infection trials. However, in the only anthrax outbreak an approved anti-toxin agent was administered in, survival did not differ comparing recipients and non-recipients, although recipients appeared sicker. OBJECTIVE: Employ a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate preclinical studies supporting anthrax anti-toxin agents. DATA SOURCE: PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus. STUDY ELIGIBILITY: Compared survival with an anti-toxin agent versus control in B. anthracis challenged, antibiotic treated animals. STUDY METHODS: Examine model and study design and the effect of anti-toxin agents on relative risk of death(95%CI) (RR). RESULTS: From 9 studies, 29 experiments were analyzed which included 4 species (748 animals) and 5 agents; LFI, AIG, AVP-21D9, Raxibacumab, and ETI-204. Only five experiments were blinded and no experiment included the cardiopulmonary support sick B. anthracis patients receive. Only one agent in a single un-blinded experiment reduced RR significantly [0.45(0.22,0.940]. However, in six studies testing an agent in more than one experiment in the same species, agents had consistent survival effects across experiments [I2 = 0, p≥0.55 in five and I2 = 42%, p = 0.16 in one]. Within each species, agents had effects on the side of benefit; in one study testing AVP-21D9 in mice [0.11(0.01,1.82)] or guinea pigs [0.70(0.48,1.03)]; across eight rabbit studies testing LFI, Raxibacumab, AIG or ETI-204 [0.62(0.45,0.87); I2 = 17.4%, p = 0.29]; and across three monkey studies testing Raxibacumab, AIG or ETI-204 [0.66(0.34,1.27); I2 = 25.3%, p = 0.26]. Across all agents and species, agents decreased RR [0.64(0.52,0.79); I2 = 5.3%, p = 0.39]. LIMITATIONS: Incidence of selective reporting not identifiable. CONCLUSIONS: Although overall significant, individually anti-toxin agents had weak beneficial effects. Lack of study blinding and relevant clinical therapies further weakened studies. Although difficult, preclinical studies with more robust designs and results are warranted to justify the resources necessary to maintain anti-toxin agents in national stockpiles.

The Fluorocycline TP-271 Is Efficacious in Models of Aerosolized Bacillus anthracis Infection in BALB/c Mice and Cynomolgus Macaques.

The fluorocycline TP-271 was evaluated in mouse and nonhuman primate (NHP) models of inhalational anthrax. BALB/c mice were exposed by nose-only aerosol to Bacillus anthracis Ames spores at a level of 18 to 88 lethal doses sufficient to kill 50% of exposed individuals (LD50). When 21 days of once-daily dosing was initiated at 24 h postchallenge (the postexposure prophylaxis [PEP] study), the rates of survival for the groups treated with TP-271 at 3, 6, 12, and 18 mg/kg of body weight were 90%, 95%, 95%, and 84%, respectively. When 21 days of dosing was initiated at 48 h postchallenge (the treatment [Tx] study), the rates of survival for the groups treated with TP-271 at 6, 12, and 18 mg/kg TP-271 were 100%, 91%, and 81%, respectively. No deaths of TP-271-treated mice occurred during the 39-day posttreatment observation period. In the NHP model, cynomolgus macaques received an average dose of 197 LD50 of B. anthracis Ames spore equivalents using a head-only inhalation exposure chamber, and once-daily treatment of 1 mg/kg TP-271 lasting for 14 or 21 days was initiated within 3 h of detection of protective antigen (PA) in the blood. No (0/8) animals in the vehicle control-treated group survived, whereas all 8 infected macaques treated for 21 days and 4 of 6 macaques in the 14-day treatment group survived to the end of the study (56 days postchallenge). All survivors developed toxin-neutralizing and anti-PA IgG antibodies, indicating an immunologic response. On the basis of the results obtained with the mouse and NHP models, TP-271 shows promise as a countermeasure for the treatment of inhalational anthrax.

Persistent anthrax as a major driver of wildlife mortality in a tropical rainforest.

Anthrax is a globally important animal disease and zoonosis. Despite this, our current knowledge of anthrax ecology is largely limited to arid ecosystems, where outbreaks are most commonly reported. Here we show that the dynamics of an anthrax-causing agent, Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis, in a tropical rainforest have severe consequences for local wildlife communities. Using data and samples collected over three decades, we show that rainforest anthrax is a persistent and widespread cause of death for a broad range of mammalian hosts. We predict that this pathogen will accelerate the decline and possibly result in the extirpation of local chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) populations. We present the epidemiology of a cryptic pathogen and show that its presence has important implications for conservation.

Soluble P-selectin rescues mice from anthrax lethal toxin-induced mortality through PSGL-1 pathway-mediated correction of hemostasis.

As one of the virulence factors of Bacillus anthracis, lethal toxin (LT) induces various pathogenic responses including the suppression of the coagulation system. In this study, we observed that LT markedly increased the circulating soluble P-selectin (sP-sel) levels and microparticle (MP) count in wild-type but not P-selectin (P-sel, Selp-/-) or P-sel ligand-1 (PSGL-1, Selplg-/-) knockout mice. Because sP-sel induces a hypercoagulable state through PSGL-1 pathway to generate tissue factor-positive MPs, we hypothesized that the increase in plasma sP-sel levels can be a self-rescue response in hosts against the LT-mediated suppression of the coagulation system. In agreement with our hypothesis, our results indicated that compared with wild-type mice, Selp-/- and Selplg-/- mice were more sensitive to LT. In addition, the recombinant sP-sel treatment markedly ameliorated LT-mediated pathogenesis and reduced mortality. As a result, elicitation of circulating sP-sel is potentially a self-rescue response, which is beneficial to host recovery from an LT-induced hypocoagulation state. These results suggest that the administration of sP-sel is likely to be useful in the development of a new strategy to treat anthrax.

Analysis of Anthrax Immune Globulin Intravenous with Antimicrobial Treatment in Injection Drug Users, Scotland, 2009-2010.

We studied anthrax immune globulin intravenous (AIG-IV) use from a 2009-2010 outbreak of Bacillus anthracis soft tissue infection in injection drug users in Scotland, UK, and we compared findings from 15 AIG-IV recipients with findings from 28 nonrecipients. Death rates did not differ significantly between recipients and nonrecipients (33% vs. 21%). However, whereas only 8 (27%) of 30 patients at low risk for death (admission sequential organ failure assessment score of 0-5) received AIG-IV, 7 (54%) of the 13 patients at high risk for death (sequential organ failure assessment score of 6-11) received treatment. AIG-IV recipients had surgery more often and, among survivors, had longer hospital stays than did nonrecipients. AIG-IV recipients were sicker than nonrecipients. This difference and the small number of higher risk patients confound assessment of AIG-IV effectiveness in this outbreak.

Modeling Tool for Decision Support during Early Days of an Anthrax Event.

Health officials lack field-implementable tools for forecasting the effects that a large-scale release of Bacillus anthracis spores would have on public health and hospitals. We created a modeling tool (combining inhalational anthrax caseload projections based on initial case reports, effects of variable postexposure prophylaxis campaigns, and healthcare facility surge capacity requirements) to project hospitalizations and casualties from a newly detected inhalation anthrax event, and we examined the consequences of intervention choices. With only 3 days of case counts, the model can predict final attack sizes for simulated Sverdlovsk-like events (1979 USSR) with sufficient accuracy for decision making and confirms the value of early postexposure prophylaxis initiation. According to a baseline scenario, hospital treatment volume peaks 15 days after exposure, deaths peak earlier (day 5), and recovery peaks later (day 23). This tool gives public health, hospital, and emergency planners scenario-specific information for developing quantitative response plans for this threat.