Rapid-acting broad spectrum protection against biological threat agents

A treatment for the effects of biological threat agents, such as smallpox virus or anthrax, to be administered either post-infection or as prophylaxis for infection, comprises administration of IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma, or the cell wall of the bacteria B. alcalolophilus, E. faecium, S. caseolyticus, or B. stearothermoohilus or a combination of these components. Additionally, the treatment comprises a combination of antibodies, such as antibodies to heat-inactivated anthrax microbes or to the anthrax Protective Antigen, and antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin. The treatment also comprises the peptidoglycan, lipoteichoic acid, or muramyl peptide fraction of bacterial cell walls, either alone or in combination with the cytokines, antibodies, and antibiotics provided. These treatments for smallpox and anthrax are administered as an inhalation preparation and therefore avoid the toxic effects of the higher doses of these components. The treatments are also indicated for people at high risk for harmful effects of the smallpox vaccines currently available.