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Anthrax, until recently a some-
lat obscure veterinary disease, is
the topic of discussion on cam-
sand nationwide. The first bioter-
ist attacks on the United States
veleft a wake of anxiety and ques-
“Ifs psychological warfare,’’said
Bruce Lawhorn, a professor in
College of Veterinary Medicine
extension veterinarian for the
xasCooperative Extension Service.
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use the (lethal) inhalation form, the
ibility would scare us,” he said.
01 lie idea was to intimidate and
ghten the U.S., but I think it has
ly served to strengthen our anger
resolve.”
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r ednesday, October 24, 2001
THE BATTALION
Page 5
\
SEPARATING FACT FROM FEAR
By Melissa Braddock
THE BATTALION
As of Tuesday, there have been
ten confirmed cases of anthrax. All
were initiated by anthrax spores con
tained in mailed envelopes.
Lawhorn said that a more wide
spread distribution, such as crop
dusting, would be much more diffi
cult and is unlikely.
“It's easy to infect a few people,”
he said "but with a larger distribution
the dilution effects and weather
effects keep the material from being
sufficiently concentrated.”
The risk of the average person con
tracting anthrax is incredibly low,
according to the Centers of Disease
Control and Prevention.
For those who are really con
cerned, Lawhorn suggests using
gloves to open mail and to open it
with a knife over a piece of black
paper. This allows easy observation
of any powders from the envelope.
"If you see a suspicious package
or find powder in an envelope, leave it
right there, call 911, and wash your
hands and face,” Lawhorn urged.
‘We've all learned a lot in the last
few days about having an increased
state of vigilance around life in gen
eral, and mail in particular,” said Dr.
Jeffrey P. Koplan, Director of the Centers
of Disease Control and Prevention.
“The best approach to take in
dealing with anthrax, is to know a lit
tle bit more about it,” Koplan said.
“For one, it's not contagious, it does
n't spread from person-to-person.
Two, it's a disease that once exposed
to is treatable and we have a number
of different antibiotics that can be
used to treat it.”
3 TYPES OF ANTHRAX
inhalation: The biggest threat.
Small spores can penetrate
into the tiny air sacks in the
long. Initial symptoms
resemble a common cold,
progressing to sewere
breathing problems and shock.
Fatal Hi 99% of untreated cases
and 80% of treated cases. S
cases reported
Intestinal- A very rare form
acquired by eating Infected
meat Symptoms include
vomiting, severe diarrhea, and
fever. Lethal In 25% te 60% of
cases, ko cases reported
Cutaneous: Most anthrax
Infections occur via a cut en
the skin. Symptoms begin as a
raised itchy bump that
resembles an insect bite and
develops into a swollen,
painless mack sore. Deaths are
rare with rapid antibiotic
treatment- without treatment
up to 20% ef cases are lethal. 5
cases reported
tWhat is anthrax?
An infectious disease caused by the
acterium Bacillus anthracls, most cases
re cutaneous, or skin, infections. If bac-
spores get into the lungs, they can
auseatnuch more deadly infection.
(: What are anthrax “spores"?
When exposed to air, the anthrax bac-
erium becomes dormant and forms a
pore resembling a seed. The spore is
remely durable and can survive in soil
or decades. In an animal or human host,
hey quickly shed this shell and become
ectwe.
Q: What does anthrax look like?
A Spores are invisible to the naked eye. A
toxic dose of many thousand particles is
still smaller than a speck of dust. Under a
microscope, it looks like a collection of
connected cylinders.
A powder is used as a carrier to keep
spores from sticking together and to bring
them into the lungs. These powders
might be brownish and grainy or fine and
white.
Q: Where does anthrax come from?
A It is mainly a disease of grazing ani
mals in Asia, Africa and parts of the U.S.,
including Texas. The spores survive in the
soil until an animal eats or inhales them.
Anthrax was developed as part of a larger
biological weapons program by several
countries, including the former Soviet
Union and the United States.
Q: Why develop it into a weapon?
A: Anthrax is almost always deadly if not
treated early, and there is no immediate
indication of exposure. It is one of the
easiest biological agents to manufacture,
and spores can be stored for decades
without losing potency. Spores can be
spread in the air.
Q: How can people be infected?
A Anthrax has to be inhaled in the lungs,
eaten, or pass through a cut in the skin to
cause disease. Between 8,000 and
10,000 spores are needed to cause infec
tion. It is not considered a contagious dis
ease and cannot be passed through the
air from person to person.
Q: How can it be treated?
A: Many common antibiotics including
penicillin and tetracycline are effective
against natural anthrax. Cipro was a first
choice because of concern about the
potential use of strains of anthrax that
have been genetically modified to resist
other antibiotics.
Q: How effective is treatment?
A: If treated in the first few days, it is
almost always curable.
Q: Will microwaving or ironing mail kill
anthrax spores?
A: No. According to A&M scientists,
microwaving is not effective. Steam iron-
CHAD MALLAM • THE BATTALION
ing might be effective, but it would take 5-
10 minutes of steam to kill spores.
Additionally, the steam could then have
active anthrax spores in it.
Q: What is the average risk of contracting
anthrax?
A: The risk of any individual contracting
anthrax is infinitesimal.
Q: Should I take/store antibiotics “just in
case”?
A: No. There's no need to buy or store
antibiotics. Unnecessary antibiotic use
could cause side effects, prevent proper
medicine distribution, and even lead to
more resistant forms of bacteria.
SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control; Dept, of
Defense; AP; Dr. Bruce Lawhorn, Texas A&M
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AMAs
CARING AGGIES SI PROTECTING OVER OUR LIVES
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the 2002 AMAs...Why miss it?
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Live in Concert
also performing:
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Sunday, October 28, 2001
7:30 p.m.
Reed Arena All Proceeds Benefit Carpool
Tickets available at MSC Box Office orTicketmaster.com
Good Seats Still Available
To follow the bands, discover new music and enter for your
chance to fly to the AMAs to see the winning band play live,
log on and listen up at www.newmusicaward.com
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Wednesday, October 24
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