| Summary: | Anthrax is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium <i>Bacillus anthracis</i>. Primarily a disease of herbivores, human infections often result from direct contact with contaminated animal products (cutaneous and inhalational anthrax) or through consumption of infected meat (gastrointestinal anthrax). The genetic near neighbor, <i>Bacillus cereus</i> biovar <i>anthracis</i> (Bcbva), causes an anthrax-like illness in the wildlife and livestock of west and central Africa due to the presence and expression of <i>B. anthracis</i>-specific virulence factors in this background. While Bcbva infections have not been reported in humans, a recent seroprevalence study detected Bcbva antibodies in the rural population around Taï National Park. This work describes the development of new TaqMan multiplex PCRs for the simultaneous detection of <i>B. anthracis</i> and Bcbva. The assays are designed to amplify Ba-1, <i>capB</i>, and <i>lef</i> markers in <i>B. anthracis</i> and genomic island IV (GI4), <i>capB</i>, and <i>lef</i> in Bcbva. Our assays allow for the rapid discrimination of <i>B. anthracis</i> and Bcbva and will provide insights into the molecular epidemiology of these two important pathogens that share an overlapping geographical range in west and central Africa.
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