The misuse of Bacillus anthracis as a bioweapon continues to be a serious concern. Medical personnel and researchers are served well if appropriate non-pathogenic anthrax simulants can be used as countermeasures in preparative planning. While there are several accepted simulants of B. anthracis , the addition of another model organism would be beneficial. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the suitability of B. pumilus as a simulant for B. anthracis . All organisms were grown on AK Agar #2 to foster sporulation. Optimum conditions for spore formation were determined for B. pumilus as well as for currently used anthrax surrogates B. atrophaeus and B. thuringiensis . Spore dimensions were determined by scanning electron microscopy. Comparative antibody binding studies using commercially available anti- Bacillus antisera were completed with the simulants as well as with a negative control organism, Clostridium sporogenes . We report that B. pumilus sporulated readily (2.9 × 1010 viable spores per plate), had appropriate spore size (1.24 μm × 0.59 μm) and reactivity with anti- Bacillus antibodies. The characteristics of B. pumilus determined in this study suggest this organism represents a novel, suitable model for B. anthracis .
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