AMA: Drugs are for anthrax, not fear
By Janet Raloff
News accounts have revealed that dozens of people in the United States were
potentially exposed to the anthrax bacterium in acts of bioterrorism. These
reports have triggered public inquiries about who should take antibiotics to ward
off anthrax infections.
This week, the Chicago-based American Medical Association (AMA) issued an advisory
to physicians arguing that such prophylactic use of antibiotics might do more harm
than good. The AMA noted that such use of the drugs could foster antibiotic