Real facts on anthrax bacteria

Uncertainty is the main feeling of most Americans when it comes to Anthrax. However, many do not understand most of the facts regarding this new threat.
Anthrax is caused by the bacteria bacillus anthracis. This bacteria is found in and on infected animals, and in the soil. It forms in spores. The spores have protective coats that can withstand extreme conditions such as heat and drought.
Once a human is infected with Anthrax, it manifests itself in one of there ways: inhalation, cutaneous, and intestinal.
Inhalation anthrax is acquired from inhaling the spores of the bacteria. The spores travel into the lungs. Immune cells carry the spores to the lymph nodes. According to the Center for Disease Control, inhalation anthrax may bear some resemblance to a common cold. Several days later, the symptoms may progress to shock and severe breathing problems. This type of anthrax is often fatal.
Cutaneous anthrax, which accounts for 95 percent of all cases, infects humans through wool or animal hides. The bacteria enters the skin through cuts and abrasions, says National Public Radio. Symptoms of this type of anthrax are bumps that itch and develop into ulcers with a black center.
Intestinal anthrax occurs when a human ingests contaminated food. Once infected, there is an inflammation of the intestinal tract. Symptoms associated with this type of anthrax are loss of appetite, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting of blood.
Despite the severity of anthrax, there is hope. If anthrax is diagnosed early, it can be treated with penicillin, doxycycline, or ciprofloxacin, also as known as Cipro.
Other antibiotics such as chloramphenicol and erythromycin have killed anthrax in laboratory setting, however, they were not tested on animals.
Currently, there is a vaccine for anthrax. The effectiveness of the vaccine is unclear because it is unethical to test human subjects with the deadly bacteria. The CDC says, based on real world experience, the vaccine is 93 percent effective.
With the current state of affairs in our world, people are understandably concerned with the threat of anthrax infections. This hysteria is compounded by the uncertainty surrounding these cases.
“When there’s a situation, and there are gaps or blanks in the information, people fill in the blanks. They tend to fill them in with the worst-case scenario,” said John Pape, an epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Such misinformation has caused many to believe hoarding antibiotics is the answer to security.
Dr. Linda Rosenberg, dean of the School of Public Health at the University of California at Los Angeles says the overuse of antibiotics can do more harm than good.
“If we heighten anxiety, and people start hoarding antibiotics, taking them inappropriately, then we’ve caused real harm,” she says. The overuse of antibiotics could cause an antibiotic-resistant strain to develop.
The key to staying safe during these uncertain times is to have accurate information. To find this information, rely on such sources as public health officials and the Center for Disease Control.