Bioterrorism, Anthrax, Frequently asked questions, Holisticonline.com

Bacillus anthracis, the etiologic agent of anthrax, is a large, gram-positive, non-motile, spore-forming rod-shaped bacteria. The three virulence factors of B. anthracis are edema toxin, lethal toxin, and a capsular antigen. Human anthrax has three major clinical forms: cutaneous, inhalation, and gastrointestinal. If left untreated, anthrax in all forms can lead to septicemia and death.

See Also: Inhalational Anthrax

There May Not Be "A Safe Dose for Anthrax Exposure"

Gastrointestinal anthrax usually follows the consumption of raw or undercooked contaminated meat and has an incubation period of 1-7 days.

Gastrointestinal anthrax is associated with severe abdominal distress followed by fever and signs of septicemia. It is characterized by an acute inflammation of the intestinal tract. Initial signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and fever are followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea.

Intestinal anthrax results in death in 25% to 60% of cases. The disease can take an oropharyngeal or abdominal form. Involvement of the pharynx is usually characterized by lesions at the base of the tongue, sore throat, dysphagia, fever, and regional lymphadenopathy. Lower bowel inflammation usually causes nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting and fever, followed by abdominal pain, vomiting blood, and bloody diarrhea.

What are the fatality rates for the various forms of anthrax?

According to CDC, early treatment of cutaneous anthrax is usually curative, and early treatment of all forms is important for recovery.

Patients with cutaneous anthrax have reported fatality rates of 20% without antibiotic treatment. But the fatality rates drops to less than 1% with antibiotic treatment. So, it is very important that you get prompt treatment is you suspect exposure to anthrax bacteria.

We have incomplete information about the fatality rates in case of inhalational anthrax. Unfortunately, the fatality rate, in this case, is extremely high even when appropriate antibiotics are given. We also do not know the impact of the delay in post-exposure prophylaxis or treatment on survival in this type of exposure.

For gastrointestinal anthrax, the fatality rate is estimated to be 25%-60%. We do not know how early antibiotic treatment affects that fatality rate.

What is the average risk of contracting anthrax?

The risk of any average individual in the USA contracting anthrax is infinitesimal. The risk is for people who have been in a place of known exposure. So far, the known places of exposures are one business place in Florida, a couple of locations in New York City, and a governmental office building in Washington. Few postal processing centers near Washington, DC are also affected. Persons who have not been in these circumstances are not at-risk.

If anthrax is on the ground, can I get it from kicking up dust?

Probably not. The spores tend to clump together, so even if inhaled, they do not get deep into the lungs.

Some of the terrorist-manufactured anthrax, however, is very fine and may be chemically treated to prevent them from clumping together. In this case, the anthrax from the ground can be inhaled under optimum conditions. (Similar to what happened to the postal workers. If you were in the vicinity of anthrax contamination, you should immediately seek medical attention.

What can the average person do to protect himself/herself?

According to Dr. Jeffrey P. Koplan, Director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, the best approach to take in dealing with anthrax, is to know a little bit more about anthrax. Here are some salient facts:

	Anthrax is not contagious.
	Anthrax doesn't spread from person-to-person.
	It's a disease that, once exposed to, is treatable. A number of different antibiotics can be used to treat it.
	Antibiotics are also very effective in preventing a person from ever getting the disease once exposed.
	Cutaneous anthrax is readily treatable. Inhaled anthrax is more deadly.

The best defense is to have a good defense system in our body that wards off infections and entry of unwanted organisms into our body such as bacteria. We recommend that you take steps to boost your immune system. Natural remedies are available to do so and are covered in depth in holisticonline.com Nothing is going to prevent you from getting the intentional inflicting of biological agents such as is the case in bioterrorism. However, you may be able to buy enough time for you to seek medical treatment and also prevent you from having other complications.

Can a person get screened or tested for anthrax?

According to Dr. Jeffrey P. Koplan, Director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, there is no screening test for anthrax. There is no test that a doctor can do that says a person has been exposed to anthrax or is carrying it.

The only way that anthrax exposure can be determined is through a public health investigation. And in those circumstances, for example, where people work in a given office or on a given floor have been exposed, the public health officials will inform people whether they have been exposed or not. They will also advise you whether you need the treatment with antibiotics.

You may have read, heard or seen reports of blood tests or nasal swabs or other tests for anthrax. According to Dr. Koplan, these are not tests to determine whether an individual should be treated. These nasal swabs and environmental tests are used to determine the extent of exposure in a given building or workplace.

Is anthrax contagious?

Anthrax can not be spread from person-to-person. One person is not contagious to another person. We can only get it from the mechanisms of exposure to the skin, breathing it, or eating it.

What should an individual do about suspicious mail?

A suspicious envelope may be one that you are not used to getting regularly with a known return address. They may have stains on them. Other characteristics of suspicious mail include: You may feel like they have contents including powder that you can feel inside; a different postmark address than the return address; any other kinds of items inside wires or protruding elements.

Here are some tips to identify suspicious packages or letters:

	Excessive postage
	Handwritten or poorly typed addresses
	Incorrect titles
	Title, but no name
	Misspellings of common words
	Oily stains, discolorations or odor
	No return address
	Excessive weight
	Lopsided or uneven envelope
	Protruding wires or aluminum foil
	Excessive security material such as masking tape, string, etc.
	Visual distractions
	Ticking sound
	Marked with restrictive endorsements, such as "Personal" or "Confidential"
	Shows a city or state in the postmark that does not match the return address

If you find something suspicious in your mail be it a package or a letter, be calm. If you've picked it up, put it down. If you have a plastic bag or envelope handy, garbage bag, something for food small enough, just slip it in it and close it. If you don't have such a plastic item available, cover it with a towel or some cloth or even a newspaper --- just cover it so that it is protected over its borders. Wash your hands with soap and water. Call local law enforcement and describe what you've got and can they come and help you.