Most people do not realize there are multiple other drugs in the same class as Cipro that will treat Anthrax. They may not have the indication for it (meaning the company never applied for indication due to the expense and the fact it would only rarely be used for this indication). Our supply of effective antibiotics that will treat the disease is therefore actually much greater than the supply of Cipro. In addition it may also be treated with Doxycycline if the strain has not been made intentionallly resistant to that drug, (weaponized military grade selectively bred to be resistant to Doxycycline). This is not that difficult to achieve. You simply add doxycyline to the culture to the point that most of the colonies are dead. The remaining colonies have some resistance to the drug. You then use these colonies for your next culture and keep repeating the process until a very resistant strain is developed.
I have not read any information on strains that are resistant to the quinolones such as Ciprofloxacin, Levafloxacin, etc etc. Unless attacked with weapons grade anthrax on a large scale with a sophisticated delivery system (something I do not think the terrorist have the capability of doing) our country has a more than ample supply of drugs that will kill the beast.
Charlie the Pharmacist
Excellent post Charlie the Pharmacist and timely, the winds of panic are wafting through the republic.
Thanks for your sensible post. (I spelled doxycycline wrong I see!) But Cipro's not the only drug for this, as you point out.