Storytime:

Athrax, the illness resulting from contact with Bacillus anthracis, has been an important disease throughout history. Throughout World War I and World War II, opposing sides would use anthrax as a biological weapon because of its capabilities to infect and survive as a spore. In WWI, German soldiers were sent to five countries, including the United States, to infect the animals with anthrax.  Throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s, different countries experimented with anthrax. During World War II, the Allies made biological weapons in the form of anthrax bombs. Following the war, scientist continued to research the potential of Bacillus anthracis and anthrax. President Richard Nixon decided that it was necessary that biological weapons only be researched for defensive purposes. However, many in other countries experimented with this potential weapon. In fact, the Soviet Union was suspected to have developed a strain that was resistant to antibiotics and a strain resistant to vaccines. Jumping to after the September 11 attacks on the US, anthrax spores were sent in the mail via four letters in the US Postal service. These spores took the form of a white powder. Five died and more suffered symptoms of anthrax.


U.S. Postal Service taking precautions
washingtonpost.com

Now for a personal story! One of the reasons I chose this organism as a topic was because of this event. I was in the 5^th grade in 2001 when these events were occurring. I heard about anthrax and how it was in the mail, but never quite understood the surrounding issues. I knew that anthrax was a white powder and was very dangerous. I went to a small Catholic grade school where students brought lunch every day. My mom carefully picked out healthy foods for me and packed them in my “cool” denim lunchbox.  One day at lunch when I opened my lunchbox I saw everything was neatly packed in ziplock bags, as per usual. I ate with a group of my friends and talked about whatever fifth graders find interesting. When I got to my tomato (whole), I saw a something odd: a white powder. Convinced it was anthrax, I put the tomato back in my lunchbox to bring home to show my mom what happened at school.  I knew my mom wouldn’t try to hurt me, but was confused as to where the alleged anthrax came from. I washed it off my hands and was nervous the rest of the day because I heard from the news what anthrax can cause. After school when my mom later asked the typical mom question, “How was school today?” I told her about my anthrax encounter. She gave me a conflicted look that was between wanting to laugh and feeling bad for me because I was scared. My mom then told me that as she was multitasking that morning, making breakfast and lunches for us kids, she spilled baking soda on the kitchen counter. Some ended up in my lunchbox. Relieved, I rinsed off my tomato and ate it for an after school snack.


Anthrax powder
extremumspiritum.com

Baking Soda
moneysavingmom.com

Easy mistake right?!?!? Maybe? For a fifth grader?

Kelsey

Used: http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/intro/bio_anthrax.htm