What are anthrax spores?
Typically, in normal conditions, anthrax bacteria grow in a “vegetative” form, i.e. they are actively living and replicating. However, when conditions become hostile, such as in the absence of nutrition or in the presence of environmental conditions perceived as harsh, the anthrax bacteria will become spores. Thus, when an animal dies, anthrax bacteria living on that animal may turn into spores. These spores are very hardy, do not replicate, and are resistant to drying, heat, ultraviolet radiation and many disinfectants. 5% hypochlorite (e.g. Clorox ® bleach), or 5% paraformaldehyde have been shown too effective at disinfecting anthrax spores. Anthrax spores are fairly sticky and once they fall onto a surface, they do not usually rise back into the air (human manipulation can change that).
