Evaluation of effectiveness and feasibility of up-to-date methods for anthrax rapid indication

This research work was aimed at comparison of specificity and sensitivity levels of up-to-date methods for B.anthracis rapid indication and identification, as well as estimation of their feasibility to be used in the scheme of anthrax laboratory diagnostics. A study of selective and differential diagnostic characteristics of culture media, approbation and intralaboratory validation of a test system Microgen Bacillus ID, and evaluation of immunochromatographic tests (IC-tests), an immunoglobulin erythrocyte diagnosticum and anthrax bacteriophages Fah-VNIIVViM and R/D-Ph-6 for their specificity and sensitivity levels was performed in accordance with instructions for their application using a panel of microorganisms of specially selected B.anthracis field isolates and vaccine strains, and closely related saprophytes of genus Bacillus with various degrees of similarity with respect to their phenotypic, genetic and/or antigenic specificities. The obtained results showed that the most of the presented methods for anthrax rapid indication based on using differential diagnostic selective culture media, identification of specific antigen and/or pathogen receptors of the pathogen, and the differences in biochemical activity levels had no practical significance for laboratory diagnostic practice due to their low sensitivity & reproducibility rates and informative value, as well as high labor and material costs. Among the methods tested, only the media based on phosphatase activity detection, and a new anthrax phage R/D-Ph-6 are noteworthy.