Anthrax

Anthrax is a disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a microbe that lives in soil. Many people know about it from the 2001 bioterror attacks. In the attacks, someone purposely spread anthrax through the U.S. mail. This killed five people and made 22 sick.

Anthrax affects farm animals more often than people. But it can cause three forms of disease in people. They are:

• Cutaneous, which affects the skin. People with cuts or open sores can get it if they touch the bacteria.
• Inhalation, which affects the lungs. You can get this if you breathe in spores of the bacteria.
• Gastrointestinal, which affects the digestive system. You can get it by eating infected meat.

Antibiotics often cure anthrax if it is diagnosed early. But many people don't know they have anthrax until it is too late to treat. A vaccine to prevent anthrax is available for people in the military and others at high risk.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Anthrax Hoaxes on Wikipedia

*October 10, is evacuated after Globe International receives an envelope from American Media in Boca Raton. The envelope is not opened, is recovered by firefighters, and is later found to be harmless. *October 12: ''The New York Times'' briefly closes its offices after Judith Miller, a reporter who coauthored "Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War", receives an envelope postmarked October 5 from St. Petersburg, Florida containing a white, sweet-smelling powder. The letter was addressed with crude handwritten block letters, with no return address. She opens it at 9:15 a.m. EDT and the powder coats her face and hands. It is later found not to contain anthrax. 32 employees were tested, and none was found to have been exposed to anthrax. *October 17: The FBI arrests a third person for sending a hoaxed anthrax letter. The Rhode Island man mailed it to his friend, who called 9-1-1. *October 18: In Nairobi, Kenya, the Kenyan health minister announces that a letter sent from Atlanta to a Kenyan citizen tested positive for anthrax spores. Two other suspicious envelopes, one of which was sent to a Nairobi United Nations office, are being tested. These all test negative. *December: Clayton Lee Waagner, 45, was arrested for sending more than 550 anthrax hoax letters to women's health clinics. *March 13, organizations in the past two days. These letters all contained a white powder that was not anthrax. Although no one is arrested yet for this crime, at least 35 others have been arrested in the U.S. for similar hoaxes. *April 26, was closed and quarantined briefly after a suspicious letter with white powder and the word "ANTHRAX" written on it arrived in the mailbox. It was later determined that the letter did not ...   [ Read More ]

External Resources

Spider Babys Web - Syracuse, New York's killer power groove band. Features the ex-guitarist, Darin Scott from BMG/Mausoleum's Belladonna. (Joey Belladonna from Anthrax's solo project.)

Turbin, Neil - Former lead vocalist for Anthrax. Biography, discography, news, pictures, MP3s, and memorabilia.

Turbin, Neil - Former lead vocalist for Anthrax. Biography, discography, news, pictures, MP3s, and memorabilia.

Anthrax - Official site of the long-standing metal band featuring news, MP3s, tours, message board, merchandise, and e-mail.

Anthrax Stomp Stomp Stomp - Japanese-based fansite including discography of Japanese imports from Anthrax and S.O.D.

MetalTabs.com - Anthrax - Guitar, bass and drum tablature.

Entertainment Ave: Anthrax - Review of a concert at The House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois.

Anthrax - Official site, with news, biographies, albums, and store.

UnRated Magazine: Anthrax - Live concert review and photos from December 5, 2003 show at the Metro in Chicago.

Bassmasta: Anthrax - Bass tablature.

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