Anthrax: Poor Man's Atomic Bom

             Anthrax: Poor Man's Atomic Bomb?
             Ever since the nationwide anthrax scare following the tragic events of September 11th, the biological agent's name has become another taboo word in the English language. Paranoia swept the nation to the point where a cloud of baby powder would cause people to panic. But should we really be that afraid of Anthrax? When the biological agent was clinically studied, some of the results were surprising and it proved many of the common preconceptions about Anthrax wrong. Although Anthrax has horrendous capabilities, it is of some comfort to understand the many misconceptions perpetuated about the agent.
             Anthrax, or Bacillus anthracis, is a naturally occurring bacteria and it makes its habitat in the ground. Anthrax is actually quite common in the cattle populations across the world, and there are the few cases every year of people who become infected from handling cattle, and only some of these cases actually lead to death. With access to proper health care these cases are almost a hundred percent treatable. Then why is there such a fear of an anthrax attack? A simple answer to that question is that anything manmade is usually worse and more destructive then nature's intent for it. The reason anthrax is so effective as a biological weapon is that it has the ability to form spores, a little protective covering outside the cell preventing it from dying. It goes into a dormant state and stays that way until it is in an aqueous environment again. In the case of anthrax, how a person was infected is one of the first things scientists will consider. There is cutaneous anthrax (infected skin) and inhalation anthrax (infected lungs). These cases were mostly cutaneous which are as harmless as the common bacterial infections, which can easily be treated with antibiotics. Inhalation anthrax on the other hand is a very serious matter. Almost every person who is exposed and infected is likely to die; ...

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Anthrax: Poor Man's Atomic Bom. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 10:48, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/16941.html