You may have heard about anthrax and wondered what it is. Some people are
worried that the germ that causes anthrax could be
spread by people who want to use the disease as a weapon. Although this is a
frightening thought, the government and police are working on ways to protect
us.
In the meantime, it's important not to panic over anthrax - the chance that
you or someone in your family could ever get it is very small. One of the ways
you can feel better is to learn about the disease. When you know what it is and
how you can get it, it doesn't seem quite as scary. So here are answers to some
questions you might have about anthrax:
- What is anthrax?
Anthrax is an infection caused by
bacteria (a type of germ) called Bacillus anthracis (say:
buh-sil-us an-thray-sus). These bacteria
make spores, a form of the germ covered by a protective
shell. The spores can live for years in the soil, and they cause anthrax when
they enter the body. Although the disease is most common in farm animals -
like sheep, cows, and goats - there's a small chance that people can get it as
well, usually from some type of contact with an animal or part of an animal
that had anthrax.
- How do people get anthrax?
People may get anthrax if
they are exposed to the spores. (Exposed means that a germ that can cause
disease is found in the same place that you are - like in the same room -
where it could come into direct contact with your body.) But here's the
important part: Just being exposed to these spores doesn't mean that people
will get sick.
To get sick, people would have to have contact with the
spores in one of three very specific ways: They would have to breathe
thousands of these spores all the way into their lungs. Or they would have to
eat meat that had spores in it. (Meat that spreads anthrax comes from animals
that were infected with the bacteria and usually is not cooked fully.) Or they
would have to handle something with spores on it and get spores in cuts on
their skin. This may sound scary, but even when people come into contact with
the spores it's unlikely that they will get sick. If the bacteria do not get
into the skin, digestive tract, or lungs, the disease will not
develop.
- Is anthrax contagious?
Anthrax is not contagious,
which means it does not spread from person to person the way the flu can spread between
family members or classmates.
- How is anthrax treated?
Anthrax can often be
successfully treated with antibiotics
(medicine that kills bacteria).
- Should I worry about anthrax?
Anthrax is very rare. In
the fall of 2001, a few people became infected with anthrax after someone used
letters in the mail to spread the spores that cause the disease. Although this
was scary, only a few people became sick and the police have been working hard
to stop anything like that from happening again. A person's chance of getting
anthrax from spores that someone spreads or from any type of contact with an
infected animal is very, very low.
If you're still worried about anthrax, remember that you, your family, and
your friends will probably never be exposed to anthrax spores. Talking to your
teacher or parent may make you feel better, and he or she can help you find the
answers to any other questions you may have about anthrax.
Updated and reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph,
MD Date reviewed: November 2003 Originally reviewed by: Frederick A. Meier,
MD
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