Why is anthrax a serious problem with bio terrorism?
The Bad stuff: – It takes a couple of days to incubate, so an exposure today can be missed until people start getting sick next week. – It is persistant. The spores go into hibernation and wait to either make contact with moist skin or be inhaled by an unsuspecting animal/person. – The spores are almost impossible to kill without totally destroying the ecosystem upon which they sit. You can douse them with bleach or lye, or burn them, but a significant portion will still survive – and then the land upon which they sat is now unable to be used to sustain life. – Once infected, Anthrax is very contagious, so extreme care must be taken with the sick, which requires huge pools of manpower. The Good stuff: – Anthrax is VERY difficult to weaponize – or to get the spores so small that they will easily be inhaled. – Actually using the stuff as a weapon is tough – because you are dependent upon the winds and after the crap has been sown on the landscape, the land is effectively useless. These a
