In this episode, we discuss Anthrax. It has a fascinating history of disease and use as a biological warfare agent. Learn how dangerous it really is.

Hello everyone.  A Special

thanks to all the new subscribers out there and to my veteran listeners.  The show has grown faster than I ever thought

possible.  I would love to hear from

everyone.  I have a list of about 200

topics, but if you have an idea or would like me to get to one sooner, drop me

a note on my website sci-vs-fear.com.

This week’s topic is:

Anthrax: Almost 20 years since I’ve had a powdered brownie

Anthrax: my experience

I’ve long been acquainted with Anthrax.  My first introduction to Bacillus anthracis

was my first day in my undergraduate microbiology lab.  The first experiment was to isolate Anthrax

from soil.  Back in those days, it wasn’t

uncommon at all to work with anthrax in the classroom and on the benchtop, it

actually poses little hazard.

My next brush with anthrax was in graduate school. Shortly

following the Amerithrax event, my major professor was asked to determine the

parameters for irradiating mail to kill any possible anthrax.  Anthrax is really hard to kill.  It takes about 40KGy (40,000 Gy) to kill it,

where 3-8Gy will kill you and I.  2001

was a rough year between 9/11 and the anthrax letters.  My innocence was shattered and that was when

I first realized the world could be a dark and dangerous place.  My desire to make sure my kids didn't have to

deal with these threats was what put me on my career path of evaluating and

mitigating dangerous things.

The next stop on the anthrax train was when I helped with a

study on how to best sample anthrax.  The

study used a cousin of Anthrax, Bacillus globigii in its weaponized form.  Anthrax powder is not at all like powdered

sugar or coffee creamer.  The slightest

breeze or wave of the hand will make it disappear into the air.  When a pea-sized ball drops from the height

of couple inches, it never hits the table, it simply disappears into the air.

Anthrax is really hard to kill.  I learned this when I assisted in sampling a

building that had been exposed to the same cousin, then tented and fumigated

with chlorine dioxide.  Immediately

following fumigation, no samples were positive. 

When we tested again 6 months later, a significant number of samples

contained viable organisms.

Every year I get a reminder of my relationship with anthrax

when I get my annual vaccination.  No

vaccination is pleasant, but anthrax always seems to take pleasure in stinging

for a couple of extra days.

Anthrax: What is it?

Anthrax is a bacteria classified as a gram-positive rod,

that is about 1/millionth of a meter long. 

To give you an idea of how small this is, about 1000 organisms could fit

on the end of a hair- give or take a few. 

Anthrax belongs to a group of bacteria know as spore

formers.  Most bacteria aren’t

particularly tough, but the spore formers are a notable exception.  I think of a spore as a seed.  Being from the west, I’ve heard of corn seeds

that were thousands of years old from cliff dwellings growing just fine once

planted.

When growing anthrax, known as vegetative cells, senses that

the environment is changing, it begins a transformation.