A second-generation anthrax "smoke detector"

Lester, Elizabeth D.; Bearman, Greg; Ponce, Adrian

doi:10.1109/memb.2004.1297184

Cited by 25 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Here we report the first fully automated application of the ASD (Lester and Ponce, 2002;Lester et al, 2004) for monitoring aerosolized bacterial spore concentrations during a simulated anthrax attack with surrogate B. atrophaeus spore powders.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An automated front‐end monitor for anthrax surveillance systems based on the rapid detection of airborne endospores

Yung

Lester

Bearman

et al. 2007

Biotech & Bioengineering

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A fully automated anthrax smoke detector (ASD) has been developed and tested. The ASD is intended to serve as a cost effective front-end monitor for anthrax surveillance systems. The principle of operation is based on measuring airborne endospore concentrations, where a sharp concentration increase signals an anthrax attack. The ASD features an air sampler, a thermal lysis unit, a syringe pump, a time-gated spectrometer, and endospore detection chemistry comprised of dipicolinic acid (DPA)-triggered terbium ion (Tb(3+)) luminescence. Anthrax attacks were simulated using aerosolized Bacillus atrophaeus spores in fumed silica, and corresponding Tb-DPA intensities were monitored as a function of time and correlated to the number of airborne endospores collected. A concentration dependence of 10(2)-10(6) spores/mg of fumed silica yielded a dynamic range of 4 orders of magnitude and a limit of detection of 16 spores/L when 250 L of air were sampled. Simulated attacks were detected in less than 15 min.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An automated front‐end monitor for anthrax surveillance systems based on the rapid detection of airborne endospores

Yung

Lester

Bearman

et al. 2007

Biotech & Bioengineering

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“…The detection of the spores using the lifetime-gated fluorimeter occurred after a thermal lysis and addition of TbCl 3 . The environmental limit of detection of the anthrax smoke detector was 50 CFU/liter (47).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Implications of Limits of Detection of Various Methods for Bacillus anthracis in Computing Risks to Human Health

Herzog

McLennan

Pandey

et al. 2009

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Used for decades for biological warfare, Bacillus anthracis (category A agent) has proven to be highly stable and lethal. Quantitative risk assessment modeling requires descriptive statistics of the limit of detection to assist in defining the exposure. Furthermore, the sensitivities of various detection methods in environmental matrices are vital information for first responders. A literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles related to methods for detection of B. anthracis was undertaken. Articles focused on the development or evaluation of various detection approaches, such as PCR, real-time PCR, immunoassay, etc. Real-time PCR and PCR were the most sensitive methods for the detection of B. anthracis, with median instrument limits of detection of 430 and 440 cells/ml, respectively. There were very few peer-reviewed articles on the detection methods for B. anthracis in the environment. The most sensitive limits of detection for the environmental samples were 0.1 CFU/g for soil using PCR-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 17 CFU/liter for air using an ELISA-biochip system, 1 CFU/liter for water using cultivation, and 1 CFU/cm 2 for stainless steel fomites using cultivation. An exponential dose-response model for the inhalation of B. anthracis estimates of risk at concentrations equal to the environmental limit of detection determined the probability of death if untreated to be as high as 0.520. Though more data on the environmental limit of detection would improve the assumptions made for the risk assessment, this study's quantification of the risk posed by current limitations in the knowledge of detection methods should be considered when employing those methods in environmental monitoring and cleanup strategies.

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“…(14) Instead, theoretical limits of detection were computed using estimated recovery efficiencies and sampling fractions using methods similar to those reported by Brown et al (18)(19)(20) Herzog et al (21) reviewed the literature from 1994 to 2007 on environmental LOD and found only two articles (22,23) on detection in the air. Stratis-Cullum et al (22) used B. subtilis spores with an ELISA detection method and reported a LOD of 17,000 spores/m 3 but acknowledged that if they had analyzed the entire sample, the LOD would have been 3400 spores/m 3 .…”

Section: Apsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Air Sampling Methods for Aerosolized Spores ofB. anthracisSterne

Estill

Baron

Beard³

et al. 2011

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

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Bacillus anthracis Sterne spores were aerosolized within a chamber at concentrations ranging from 1 x 10³ to 1.7 x 10⁴ spores per cubic meter of air (particles (p)/m³) to compare three different sampling methods: Andersen samplers, gelatin filters, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane filters. Three samples of each type were collected during each of 19 chamber runs. Chamber concentration was determined by an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) for the size range of 1.114-1.596 μm. Runs were categorized (low, medium, and high) based on tertiles of the APS estimated air concentrations. Measured air concentrations and recovery efficiency [ratio of the measured (colony forming units (CFU)/m³) to the APS estimated (particles/m³) air concentrations] for the sampling methods were compared using mixed-effects regression models. Limits of detection for each method were estimated based on estimated recovery efficiencies. Mean APS estimated air concentrations were 1600 particles/m³, 4100 particles/m³, and 9100 particles/m³ at the low, medium, and high tertiles, respectively; coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 25 to 40%. Statistically significant differences were not observed among the three sampling methods. At the high and medium tertiles, estimated correlations of measured air concentration (CFU/m³) among samples collected from the same run of the same type were high (0.73 to 0.93). Among samples collected from the same run but of different types, correlations were moderate to high (0.45 to 0.85); however, correlations were somewhat lower at the low tertile (-0.31 to 0.75). Estimated mean recovery efficiencies ranged from 0.22 to 0.25 CFU/particle with total CVs of approximately 84 to 97%. Estimated detection limits ranged from 35 to 39 particles/m³. These results will enable investigators to conduct environmental sampling, quantify contamination levels, and conduct risk assessments of B. anthracis.

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A second-generation anthrax "smoke detector"

Cited by 25 publications

References 42 publications

An automated front‐end monitor for anthrax surveillance systems based on the rapid detection of airborne endospores

An automated front‐end monitor for anthrax surveillance systems based on the rapid detection of airborne endospores

Implications of Limits of Detection of Various Methods for Bacillus anthracis in Computing Risks to Human Health

Comparison of Air Sampling Methods for Aerosolized Spores ofB. anthracisSterne

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