How is Anthrax treated?
Treatment for all three forms of anthrax depends on oral or intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Treatment is most effective when started as early as possible. Some strains of anthrax may be more responsive to one type of antibiotic than to another. Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), doxycycline and penicillin are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of anthrax in adults and children. However, your doctor may prescribe other antibiotics or a combination of antibiotics. These medications work by killing the anthrax bacteria. However, antibiotics may fail in inhalation anthrax once symptoms become severe because the bacteria may already have released large amounts of toxin that aren’t affected by antibiotics. Scientists are working to develop an anthrax antitoxin that could neutralize the toxin produced by anthrax bacteria. If you’ve been exposed to anthrax, your doctor will likely prescribe a long course — 60 days or more — of antibiotics. If you have inhalation anthrax, you’ll
