Bacillus anthracis is a Gram-positive bacterium that is the causative agent of anthrax.1 While foodborne anthrax cases and outbreaks are extremely rare in most developed countries, cases and outbreaks of foodborne anthrax do regularly occur in a number of developing countries. Typically these cases are linked to consumption of meat from animals that have died of anthrax. While consumption of cattle that died of anthrax^2^ is the most common cause of human foodborne anthrax in these countries, consumption of other animals that have died of anthrax (e.g., hippopotamus^3^) has also been reported in anthrax outbreaks.
Key laboratories studying various aspects of foodborne anthrax in the US and Canada include:
USDA ARS, Eastern Region Res Center, Microbial Food Safety Res Unit, Wyndmoor, PA 19038 USA
USDA, Russell Res Center, Food Safety & Inspect Service, Div Microbiology, Athens, GA 30605 USA
USDA, Richard B Russell Agricultural Research Center, Food Safety & Inspect Service, Off Food Defense & Public Health Response, Athens, GA 30605 USA
USDA, ARS, Environmental Microbial Safety Lab, Animal & Natural Resources Institute, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
University of Georgia, Center Food Safety, Griffin, GA 30223 USA
University Georgia, Department Food Science & Technology, Griffin, GA 30223 USA
Washington State University, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Pullman, WA 99164 USA
Washington State University, Department Food Science & Human Nutrition, Pullman, WA 99164 USA
Center for Biological Defense, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, Texas 78227 USA
Division of Monoclonal Antibodies, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
Key laboratories studying various aspects of foodborne anthrax in Europe include:
Defence Science Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK
Génétique Microbienne, Centre de Recherche de Jouy-en-Josas, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 78352 Jouy en Josas cedex, France
Key laboratories studying various aspects of foodborne anthrax in South and Latin America include:
Key laboratories studying various aspects of foodborne anthrax in Asia and Australia include:
University of Tasmania, Australian Food Safety Center of Excellence, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
Additional resources on Bacillus anthracis:
A number of key sources on Bacillus anthracis and anthrax are available, including:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/
http://www.rki.de/cln_117/nn_197444/DE/Content/InfAZ/A/Anthrax/Anthrax.html?__nnn=true
Gastrointestinal Anthrax: Review of the Literature. Mark E. Beatty; David A. Ashford; Patricia M. Griffin; Robert V. Tauxe; Jeremy Sobel. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163:2527-2531.
References
1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_anthracis
2http://beta.promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20090814.2888
3http://beta.promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20110905.228693
If you want to edit or add to this entry please contact Tom Malley at tjm255@cornell.edu