Assessment of the Efficacy of Soil Decontamination of Bacillus anthracis in Georgia
Abstract
Anthrax is a zoonotic infectious disease that has been endemic in Georgia for centuries. Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, produces endospores that can infect both humans and animals. These spores remain dormant in the soil for many years, which means that effective decontamination is necessary to prevent the spread of anthrax. Specialists from Georgia’s National Food Agency currently use calcium hypochlorite to disinfect animal slaughter and burial sites that are linked to laboratory-confirmed anthrax cases. However, studies have shown that soil in disease foci can continue to harbor B. anthracis after decontamination. Furthermore, the efficacy of soil disinfection in Georgia has never been studied. To this end, we propose a research project to evaluate and quantitate the efficacy of the current approach to soil decontamination in Georgia. The proposed project will provide a better understanding of soil decontamination dynamics in Georgia, as well as an opportunity to ensure that appropriate control measures are being deployed. Successful implementation of this project will not only allow us to evaluate the efficacy of the current disinfection scheme, but will also provide baseline data against which to assess alternative decontamination approaches in the future. These efforts will ultimately reduce the risk of soil-borne anthrax infections in Georgia by ensuring that affected sites are effectively decontaminated.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2019
- Source ID
- HDTRA11910018
Entities
People
- Marina Nikolaishvili
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency