From Spores to Suffering: Understanding the Role of Anthrax in Bioterrorism.

This article systematically reviews anthrax, caused by Bacillus anthracis, focusing on its role as a bioterrorism agent and the evolving strategies for its detection, prevention, and treatment. It highlights anthrax’s historical use in biological warfare, its pathogenesis involving spore resilience and toxin production, and the clinical manifestations based on exposure routes. Current diagnostic methods include microbial culture, serology, polymerase chain reaction, and emerging nano-diagnostics and mass spectrometry techniques. Treatment relies on antibiotics, toxin inhibitors, and vaccines such as Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA), with ongoing research into recombinant vaccines and synthetic biology approaches. The review emphasizes the importance of biodefense preparedness, including surveillance, stockpiling medical countermeasures, protective measures, and international collaboration, while exploring future prospects like artificial intelligence, precision medicine, and advanced immunomodulation to enhance global biosecurity against anthrax threats.