Parasite, Viruses, and Diseases -A to Z - Anthrax

Not

Disease -Not the Band

Sorry, stop looking at me like that.
I'm not talking about you guys.
I am talking about the guy below

 Yes you.

Bacillus Anthracis

According to the CDC
Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax can be found naturally in soil and commonly affects domestic and wild animals around the world.


And in envelopes ..and candy, and I watch to many crime shows.  

Naturally Occurring Anthrax 

Okay, are there reasons or times when Anthrax is more prevalent? 

• Periods of flooding can move spores up to the soil surface and drying of wet areas will expose spores to grazing livestock. 

Livestock take the brunt of the Anthrax exposures. Poor Moos

• Disruption of the soil by excavation can also bring spores to the surface. 
• When animals graze on soil where spores are present, they can ingest the bacteria directly from the soil or from plants. 

Cases of naturally-occurring anthrax are reported every year in Canada
(In livestock) 
 Anthrax is a Zoonotic Disease 
This means it can be transited from Animal to Human

Although it is rare, people can get sick with anthrax if they come in contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.
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In Animals - Symptoms tend to go unseen - The animals are just found dead
Symptoms, when seen, include staggering, shortness of breath, trembling, collapse, a short period of convulsions and death
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 The Sterne vaccine is the only licensed vaccine in Canada,
The Vaccine is only labelled for use in cattle, sheep, horses, goats and pigs.
The vaccine will produce immunity, but requires seven to 10 days for immunity to develop.

Okay, so what about people?

• People get infected with anthrax when spores get into the body. 
• When anthrax spores get inside the body, they can be “activated.” 
• When they become active, the bacteria can multiply, spread out in the body, produce toxins (poisons), and cause severe illness.
• This can happen when people breathe in spores, eat food or drink water that is contaminated with spores, or get spores in a cut or scrape in the skin

So we have covered some of the basics about naturally occurring Anthrax

What about the Bio-Terror-Weapon kind?


Good question.
First off
 Why Anthrax?

• It has existed since 1491BC

• In 1613, the first  European Pandemic occurred.

'Black Bane' was infamous killing 60 000 humans and animals.

* If they can weaponize Anthrax (which they can)
And create a way to cover as many people as possible (which they can)

• They can do a lot of damage without needing a lot of 'product'

Anthrax is tough 
 It is resistant  
A genetically engineered strain of Anthrax could render the vaccine useless
It has a high mortality rate ( depending on type of exposure)
It scares us.
 Mass hysteria alone is enough to cause serious issues. 
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  The spore is a tough shell that houses the genetic material of the microbe, and can preserve this material almost indefinitely through harsh environmental conditions that would kill the growing bacteria.
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  Britain tested anthrax delivery systems in WWII off the cost of Scotland on an island called Gruinard. Studies have recovered spores that can germinate into disease causing bacteria even decades later.
That basically means that even an inefficient application of anthrax spores have the possibility of leaving residual spores capable of infecting people long after an attack
Um..y'all better consider this fact before you go testing willy nilly around the world.
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So should we be worried?

According to the MSDS Sheets at the Public Health Agency of Canada
Spores remain viable in soil, skins and hides of infected animals and contaminated air and wool for decades; survival in milk - 10 years; dried on filter paper - 41 years; dried on silk threads - up to 71 years; pond water - 2 years

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62 Germ banks located all over the world contain Bacillus anthracis cultures
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Anthrax has been traded, sold or given away to obtain other germs
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It has been proven fatal 
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If put in the wrong hands, with the right abilities to weaponize 
Not only are we screwed... future generations could also be screwed because the freaking stuff is so damn resistant !
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But, I would worry more about all the creepy parasites in the world that don't need any sort of terrorist to plot their destruction. 

In other words... relax something else is bound to kill you before Anthrax does.