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Bioterrorism: scientists develop anthrax vaccine
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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A team of scientists from Cardiff University are leading new research into developing an anthrax vaccine to help combat the threat of bioterrorism.
A team of scientists from Georgia, Turkey and the United States is developing a vaccine that can protect humanity from anthrax, a dangerous infectious disease of farm and wild animals of all species, as well as humans.
The sources of the disease are herbivores – small and large cattle.
The disease can be transmitted to humans through infected livestock products contaminated with the ulcer pathogen, household items and livestock care items, soil, as well as livestock raw materials and items made from them.
Anthrax usually occurs in the form of a cutaneous form, less often pulmonary and intestinal. It is a zoonotic disease. The "gateway" through which the virus enters the body is the skin. After a few hours, the pathogen begins to actively reproduce.
"Most of the world's population is currently susceptible to anthrax, a disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus," says Professor Bailey, a co-author of the study. "The 2011 US mail attacks showed how vulnerable humanity is and how helpless it is to deal with such a formidable adversary.
This growing threat posed by bioterrorism forced the government to take action, and thus this project was born, which brought together scientists from several countries into a team.
“The results of this study,” the scientists say, “will form the basis of new technology for the development of broad-spectrum vaccines that can provide reliable protection against infection.”
Such vaccines would work on two levels: locally - they would directly improve the lives of workers and reduce the risk of anthrax infection, and they would also help protect citizens from the use of anthrax as a bioterrorist weapon.
An added benefit of this project will be the creation of a research center in Georgia that can support research into infectious diseases and ultimately improve the lives of all people.
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