India Develops more Potent Anthrax Vaccine

Indian scientists have developed a new vaccine against anthrax. The new vaccine is claimed to be superior over existing vaccines as it has the ability to generate an immune response to anthrax toxin as well as its spores rather than the toxin alone.

How the vaccine works?

The current vaccine available in the market works by generating an immune response against a Bacillus protein-protective antigen (a protein that helps in the transport of Bacillus toxins inside the cells).

The immune response is triggered only when spores germinate in body and start producing bacterial proteins whereas no immune response to Bacillus spores. The new vaccine is capable of generating an immune response to both spores and toxin.

Anthrax

Anthrax is a deadly human disease caused by bacterium Bacillus Anthracis. Bacillus Anthracis can be found naturally in soil and commonly affects domestic and wild animals around the world. Anthrax is not a contagious disease.