Publications by authors named "Justin M Hartings"

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection in humans results in clinical symptoms very similar to ordinary smallpox. Aerosol is a route of secondary transmission for monkeypox, and a primary route of smallpox transmission in humans. Therefore, an animal model for aerosol exposure to MPXV is needed to test medical countermeasures.

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Article Synopsis
  • Multiple factors affect the viability of aerosolized bacteria, including chamber conditions and characteristics of the bioaerosols, highlighting the importance of measuring viable aerosol concentration and particle size for effective lung delivery.
  • A multiplex sampling port was added to the Madison chamber to analyze the conditions and bioaerosol characteristics of three pathogens (B. anthracis, Y. pestis, M. tuberculosis) and determine their impact on dose accuracy in small animal models.
  • Results showed specific aerosol sizes and viable concentrations for each pathogen, allowing for the calculation of doses presented to mice, and discussed whether the challenge presented optimal conditions for effective bioaerosol exposure.
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An anthrax spore aerosol infection mouse model was developed as a first test of in vivo efficacy of antibiotics identified as active against Bacillus anthracis. Whole-body, 50% lethal dose (LD50) aerosol challenge doses in a range of 1.9x10(3) to 3.

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Introduction: Well-characterized inhalation exposure systems are critical for preclinical testing and pathogenesis studies. The automated bioaerosol exposure system (ABES) provides a microprocessor-driven inhalation platform that provides exquisite data acquisition and control over all aspects of inhalation exposures. Because this represents a new technology, the development and characteristics of the ABES are thoroughly discussed.

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Ricin is a toxic lectin derived from the seed of Ricinus communis (castor plant). It is lethal in small quantities when disseminated as an aerosol. We determined the impact of using two types of exposure chambers and different particle sizes on the deposition of ricin aerosols in mice.

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