Anthrax Info
Facts about Anthrax ...

Facts about Anthrax from the Centers For Disease Control
What is Anthrax?
FAQs For Anthrax
Who Can Get The Anthrax Vaccine
Bioterrorism Is More Than Just Anthrax
The Treatment of Anthrax
Go To The Library
Biological Warfare: The Newest Household Word
Kids Health And Anthrax
Buying Drugs Online
What Are We Doing To Prepare?
How Do You Recognize A Biological Agent
Watch Your Mail
Earn A Million Dollars
What's The Post Office Doing?

Facts about Anthrax from the Centers For Disease Control
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in hoofed mammals and can also infect humans. Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but usually occur within 7 days after exposure. The serious forms of human anthrax are inhalation anthrax, cutaneous anthrax, and intestinal anthrax. Initial symptoms of inhalation anthrax infection may resemble a common cold. After several days, the symptoms may progress to severe breathing problems and shock. Inhalation anthrax is often fatal. The intestinal disease form of anthrax may follow the consumption of contaminated food and 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. Direct person-to-person spread of anthrax is extremely unlikely, if it occurs at all. Therefore, there is no need to immunize or treat contacts of persons ill with anthrax, such as household contacts, friends, or coworkers, unless they also were also exposed to the same source of infection. In persons exposed to anthrax, infection can be prevented with antibiotic treatment. Early antibiotic treatment of anthrax is essential-delay lessens chances for survival. Anthrax usually is susceptible to penicillin, doxycycline, and fluoroquinolones. An anthrax vaccine also can prevent infection. Vaccination against anthrax is not recommended for the general public to prevent disease and is not available.
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What is Anthrax?
The Centers for Disease Control have developed some documents to help healthcare providers prepare for and respond to acts of bioterrorism. Information includes details about the disease, recommended treatment, and specific issues relating to recognizing Anthrax in emergency departments. Contact Centers for Disease Control, 1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30333; 404-639-3534; 800-311-3435; {http://www.bt.cdc.gov/Agent/Anthrax/Anthrax.asp}.
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FAQs For Anthrax
Want to know about anthrax and how it is transmitted? The Centers for Disease Control and put to ether an FAQ sheet that answers all the commonly asked questions about where anthrax can be found, how it is treated, and about the anthrax vaccine. To learn more, check out the website at {http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/anthrax_g.htm}.
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Who Can Get The Anthrax Vaccine
Because of a limited supply of the vaccine, only special military units and personnel are receiving the vaccine. The Anthrax vaccine is distributed by BioPort Corporation of Lansing Michigan. The Office of the Army Surgeon General has put together information on the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program. To learn more about the vaccine, check out the website at {http://www.anthrax.osd.mil/Flash_interface/default.html}. For more information contact The Surgeon General of the Army, 5109 Leesburg Pike, Six Skyline Place, Falls Church, VA 22041; 877-GET-VACC.
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Bioterrorism Is More Than Just Anthrax
Not only is Anthrax a concern, but there is also a worry about other diseases. The Centers for Disease Control has developed information on Anthrax, Botulism, Pneumonic Plague, and Small Pox in the event that we are faced with another public health disaster. To learn more about these diseases, check out Centers for Disease Control, 1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30333; 404-639-3534; 800-311-3435; {http://www.bt.cdc.gov/}.
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The Treatment of Anthrax
Cipro is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infection sin many different parts of the body. It does not work for viral infections, such as the common cold. Cipro is approved for inhaled form of anthrax after an individual has been exposed. Widespread use of Cipro is being discouraged because random prescribing and extensive use could speed up the development of drug resistant organisms, and the usefulness of Cipro as an antibiotic may be lost. For more information contact Division of Drug Information, Cent for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857; 888-INFO-FDA; {http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/cipro/cipro_faq.htm}.
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Go To The Library
The country's own National Library of Medicine has put together a webpage which provides the latest news on anthrax, as well as an overview, diagnosis, symptoms, prevention, screening and treatment. You can get the latest research directly from the experts! For more information check out the National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894; 888-FIND-NLM; {http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anthrax.html}.
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Biological Warfare: The Newest Household Word
In the wake of the recent Anthrax attacks, biological warfare is being discussed daily. The MayoClinic.com website has their microbiology expert outline general information on what bioterrorism is and what can be done. There is also discussion on how we can relieve our own anxiety and protect our children. For more information check out {http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=MH00018}.
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Kids Health And Anthrax
As parents we struggle with concerns over our children's health. The KidsHealth website is one of the largest and leading website devoted to providing understandable health information to parents regarding their children. Kids Health and Anthrax is a several page document that provides information on what it is, how difficult it is to get it, is it really a threat, and what parents should do. You can learn more by checking out the website at {http://kidshealth.org/breaking_news/anthrax_p2.html}.
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Buying Drugs Online
Many people are turning to the web to stockpile medicines or attempting to get the anthrax vaccine or antibiotic online. The growth of the Internet in recent years has enabled many consumers to purchase medicines online. There are online pharmacies that provide legitimate prescription services. Unfortunately, there are also questionable sites that make purchasing medicines online risky. To learn more read Buying Prescription Medicines Online: A Consumer Safety Guide and buying Medicines and Medical Products Online. Both can help you learn how to get the best deal and your products safely. For more information check out Division of Drug Information, Cent for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857; 888-INFO-FDA; {http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/consumer/buyonline/guide.htm}.
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What Are We Doing To Prepare?
The threat is there for biological warfare, but what are we doing as a country to prepare? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has prepared a document titled, Biological Incidents: Preparedness and Response that outlines what actions are being taken and what information is available to both the health professional and the consumer. For more information, you can contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20201; 202-619-0257; 877=696-6775; {http://www.hhs.gov/hottopics/healing/biological.html}.
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How Do You Recognize A Biological Agent
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is a series prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, Recognition of Illness Associated with the Intentional Release of a Biologic Agent provides guidance for health care providers and public health personnel about recognizing illnesses or patterns of illness that might be associated with the intentional release of biologic agents. For more information contact MMWR Series, Mailstop C-08, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333; {http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5041a2.htm}.
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Watch Your Mail
Every household in America has received or will receive a postcard from the U.S. Postal Service describing what to look for if you suspect a letter or package may contain a harmful biological agent. It outlines what should make you suspect a piece of mail and what you do. For more information check out the website {http://www.usps.gov/news/2001/press/pr01_1019postcard.htm}.
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Earn A Million Dollars
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Service have joined together to offer $1,000,000 for information leading to the arrest of the anthrax mailers. In partnership with America's Most Wanted, confidential telephone calls can be directed to the America's Most Wanted phone back at 800-CRIME-TV or to their website at {www.amw.com}.
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What's The Post Office Doing?
The U.S. Postal Service is taking and considering taking many steps to help make the mail safe to both handle and deliver. Their website provides information on the latest actions, and steps they are asking everyone to take to help with this new threat. To learn more about this, check out their website at {www.usps.gov}.
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