Can a person get screened or tested for anthrax?
According to Dr. Jeffrey P. Koplan, Director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, there is no screening test for anthrax. There is no test that a doctor can do that says a person has been exposed to anthrax or is carrying it. The only way that anthrax exposure can be determined is through a public health investigation. And in those circumstances, for example, where people work in a given office or on a given floor have been exposed, the public health officials will inform people whether they have been exposed or not. They will also advise you whether you need the treatment with antibiotics. You may have read, heard or seen reports of blood tests or nasal swabs or other tests for anthrax. According to Dr. Koplan, these are not tests to determine whether an individual should be treated. These nasal swabs and environmental tests are used to determine the extent of exposure in a given building or workplace.
According to Dr. Jeffrey P. Koplan, Director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, there is no screening test for anthrax. There is no test that a doctor can do that says a person has been exposed to anthrax or is carrying it. The only way that anthrax exposure can be determined is through a public health investigation. And in those circumstances, for example, where people work in a given office or on a given floor have been exposed, the public health officials will inform people whether they have been exposed or not. They will also advise you whether you need the treatment with antibiotics. You may have read, heard or seen reports of blood tests or nasal swabs or other tests for anthrax. According to Dr. Koplan, these are not tests to determine whether an individual should be treated. These nasal swabs and environmental tests are used to determine the extent of exposure in a given building or workplace.
