Vaccine against anthrax: features of application, instruction

In history, this disease is known as "sacred fire", "Persian fire" and other similar associations. Its modern name was anthrax because of its distribution area. Today, cases of human infection are casuistic. The disease occurs only in cattle. The causative agent was described in the late nineteenth century by Robert Koch.

Causal agent

The bacterium Bacillus anthracis is the cause of anthrax. This is a large stick, colored by Gram in purple. It contains a somatic antigen, and also releases a toxin that provokes swelling, interacts with the membranes of the body cells and causes a lethal outcome. In addition, the capsule exhibits antifagocytic properties.

Outside the host organism, bacteria form spores that are resistant to high temperatures, drying and disinfection. In this form, anthrax can be stored for years, and also used as a bacterial weapon. Vegetative forms of microorganisms die from exposure to hot water after forty minutes, in a dry-fire cabinet - after 2-3 hours.

Epidemiology

The carrier of infection are herbivores. As a rule, these are cows, horses, camels or pigs. Infectiousness for humans persists throughout the disease of cattle, as it isolates the causative agent into the environment. And the corpses of animals remain infectious during the week. In addition, the transmission of the pathogen is realized through blood-sucking insects. Particular danger is represented by products obtained from sick animals (hide, wool). They can remain infectious for many years, even after chemical and thermal treatment.

Geographically, anthrax is found in countries with a hot, humid climate, in areas where cattle are bred. Disease, as a rule, is recorded in the summer-autumn period. The main reason for contaminating people is ignoring sanitary and epidemiological norms, as well as insufficient processing of materials before processing them.

Pathogenesis and Symptoms

Bacteria enter the human or animal body through the skin, mucous or gastric tract. In the "gateway infection" develops serous-hemorrhagic inflammation, which manifests itself with edema, hemorrhage and dry necrosis. This place has the appearance of a glowing embers - a black patch bordered by an inflammatory shaft, in the center of which is an open wound. Macrophages carry the pathogen to the lymphatic system, including the regional lymph nodes. After the bacteria enters the blood, secondary sepsis develops with generalization of the infection throughout the body: in the lymph nodes, gastrointestinal tract, lungs. In the target organs there are multiple hemorrhages and bleeding.

The incubation period of the infection can last from a few hours to two weeks, depending on the form. The most common can be seen skin manifestations of the disease. At the site of penetration of the pathogen appear papules of red color, a feeling of itching and burning. After a day, the papule evolves into a vesicle filled with serous fluid. After a short time, the contents acquire a crimson or dark purple hue. Because of severe itching, a person damages the dome of the vesicle and an ulcer with a dark bottom and a bright contour appears. Bacterial screenings ("a symptom of a necklace") are formed along its edges, which pass through the same stages.

After a couple of weeks, the bottom of the ulcer is closed with a black scab, and for the entire period of the disease, a local anesthetic reaction appears. This is one of the diagnostic signs of anthrax. Of the common symptoms, a prolonged fever is associated with headache, adynamics and muscle pain. After two or three weeks, the local manifestations come to naught, and together with them, a general toxic symptom.

Diagnostics

The most common cutaneous form of the disease is differentiated with other bacterial furuncles and carbuncles. The main distinguishing feature is the appearance of a "necklace", which is characteristic only of anthrax. The generalized form is characterized by a rapid onset, severe intoxication, pulmonary edema, oligo- and anuria. Sometimes, if there is a source of the disease, the doctor must distinguish between anthrax and tularemia and plague.

From laboratory tests for diagnosis of the disease, you can apply bacterioscopy of blood or urine, as well as sowing of the wound from the wound to nutrient media. In addition, laboratory animals can be used to establish a more accurate diagnosis. Serological reactions will help determine the phase of the disease and the readiness of the immune system. Another method is to conduct allergic tests with anthraxin.

Anthrax vaccine

To prevent anthrax, a live dry vaccine has been developed that is suitable for subcutaneous or dermal application. It is released in ampoules of 1 ml (calculated on 200 doses of subcutaneous administration) complete with 1.5 ml of solvent (glycerol solution).

The vaccine against anthrax for humans is a mixture of living spores of the pathogen and purified antigens attached to aluminum hydroxide. The doctor adds an isotonic saline solution to the ampoule, turning the powder into a homogeneous mixture. Shelf life of dry vaccine is 3 years, and liquid - 2.

For adults and children from 1 year, any vaccine against anthrax can be used. The instruction, attached to it, asserts that the person develops intense immunity.

Contraindications to vaccination

For the introduction of all vaccines, there are general rules:

• The patient must be healthy;
• Body temperature in the normal range;
• More than a month passed after the last acute respiratory viral infection;
• Allergic reactions to the previous administration of vaccines were not observed.

Instructions for the use of the vaccine against anthrax distinguish several more contraindications. So, a person should not have in the history of systemic diseases of connective tissue, recurrent dermatological pathologies, as well as problems with the endocrine system. In addition, you need to adhere to time intervals. Between the last vaccination and immunization against anthrax there should be a gap of at least thirty days.

Reactions to vaccine administration

The use of anthrax vaccine causes local and general reactions. When the skin is injected through the day, a site of hyperemia and a small swelling of the tissues appear on the skin at the injection site. Later there is formed a crust, which eventually disappears. Subcutaneous administration of the vaccine is accompanied by the appearance of an infiltrate up to 0.5 cm in size.

General malaise is extremely rare and manifests itself in headache, fever to subfebrile numbers, and lymph node enlargement. Sometimes nausea and vomiting are possible. In people with increased immunity response, anthrax vaccine can cause an allergic reaction up to anaphylactic shock.

Dosing and Administration

For the first time vaccination is carried out with a dry and liquid vaccine, and in the subsequent use only a dry variant. In the first quarter of the year, a susceptible contingent receives a dose of the drug in a volume of up to 0.5 ml subcutaneously.

There are two ways in which a dry vaccine against anthrax is administered to a person. The instruction states that children from 14 years old should undergo primary immunization subcutaneously with two doses with a break in a month. Adults put on the outer middle third of the shoulder 2 drops of diluted vaccine, and then scratch the skin and rub the liquid for half a minute.

In the case of contact of a non-vaccinated person with a sick animal, he undergoes emergency prophylaxis in the form of a course of antibiotics:

• For adults it is "Ciprofloxacin" or "Doxycycline";
• For children - "Amoxicillin".

Vaccines against anthrax for animals

The vaccine against anthrax causes the production of antibodies to the pathogen in the animal already 10 days after the administration and provides stable immunity up to one year. It is designed for routine compulsory immunization of all livestock.

For the first time, vaccinations are made at a monthly age, and then again six months later. Adults should be vaccinated every year. If an animal has been found in the livestock population and has signs of anthrax, the whole herd is vaccinated again.

Contraindications to vaccination of animals:

• Elevated temperature;
• Pregnancy or recent castration;
• Surgical operations;
• Foals up to 9 months.

The vaccine against anthrax is not administered in hot or cold seasons, or in combination with other medicines. With treatment with antibiotics, anthelmintic and insecticacaricide drugs, it is necessary to wait at least 10 days from the moment of vaccination. Milk vaccinated cows are allowed to drink the next day after vaccination, but the slaughter of livestock for meat will have to be postponed for two weeks.