What Do You Know About Anthrax As A Biological Weapon?

           Anthrax has a reputation for being a deadly biological weapon that could be used by terrorists.

           Anthrax is a bacteria that makes spores. Spores are protective shells around the bacteria that protect them so that they can survive for long periods of time without degenerating.This means that there can be anthrax spores in the ground which could infect livestock long after they have been released.

           How does anthrax affect humans? For a human to be affected by anthrax they would need to breath in many thousands of spores that are dispersed in air. Or they would have to have a cut through which spores are taken into the body. It is actually very difficult to infect humans with anthrax.

           As a weapon anthrax would need to be produced in large quantities, which require expensive laboratory facilities. Next a weapon would need to be made which would disperse the spores in the air in a high population area. This is actually very difficult to do.

           The spores only stay in the air a limited time and once they are settled on the ground, although they are still potentially lethal, they would need to be stirred up into the air to create any significant health risk.