Anthrax treatment

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According to the Army medical handbook, the treatment for anthrax is tetracycline 500 mg q.i.d. for 10 days. Now, does anyone know of a source for vet tetracycline? The feed store that sold it here closed last spring, and I haven't been able to find any more. Since the symptoms for anthrax are virtually the same as for flu, it will likely make for a nervous season.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), October 07, 2001

Answers

Jeffers vet. supply. I just got some from them. I've been reading though that the pills are ineffective against the deadly kind of anthrax, that it needs to be given IV. I'm still glad I have it on hand. Their phone # is 1-800-jeffers.

-- Barb (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), October 07, 2001.

See other threads for links regarding treatment....many antibiotics are effective against anthrax if given IV..actually, pretty much all of them, including good old penicillin. Unfortunately,by the time a person exhibits symptoms of serious illness treatment is too late, as in that poor fellow in Florida. In July of 2000, the FDA nominated Cipro as the single 100% anti-anthrax by inhalation preventive antibiotic against ALL strains ( in Russia, a new strain was developed which is resistant to doxycycline)...doxycycline is the second most effective medication, taken orally to prevent inhalation anthrax (all but the Russian strain). The anthrax case in Florida showed the germ to be susceptible to penicillin, please be aware that they were speaking of IV penicillin, not oral. Personally, from all I have read in the medical journals, if all I had on hand was oral tetracycline, I sure would take it during an announced epidemic. Even though it is not as nearly effective as doxycycline or Cipro, it MIGHT be better than nothing at all.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), October 07, 2001.

Oh that's great. Russia just took out an internet ad saying (facetious) they have their anthrax out in a completely unguarded, unprotected dump.Kind of like keeping it in a garbage can out in the back yard. They failed to say which strain it was. Ah well.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), October 08, 2001.

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