Anthrax is an infection caused by a bacterium (a type of germ) called Bacillus anthracis (eg BUH-SIL-us-thray extra). These bacteria produce spores, a type of germ that is covered by a protective envelope. The spores can live for years in soil, and they cause anthrax when they enter the body. Although the disease is more common in domestic animals – like sheep, cows and goats – which is a small chance that people can get together, usually some form of contact with an animal or a part of an animal that had anthrax.

What is Anthrax?
People can get anthrax if they are exposed to the spores. (Complaint means that a germ that can cause disease is in the same place that you – as in the same room – if you can come into direct contact with the body.) But here is an important part: Only for those exposed to the spores do not means that people get sick.

Ill, people would be associated with spores of one of three very special way: they would have to inhale thousands of these spores all the way into their lungs, they should eat meat that had spores in it (the meat is spread throughout the anthrax is derived from animals infected with the bacteria and usually are not fully cooked), or you have to handle something like that and get the spores spores cuts in the skin.

This may sound scary, but even when people come into contact with the spores, it is unlikely they will get sick. If the bacteria enter the skin, gastrointestinal tract or lungs, the disease does not develop.

Is Anthrax contagious?
Anthrax is not contagious, which means it does not spread from person to person, such as influenza can spread between family members or classmates.

How is anthrax treated?
Anthrax can often be successfully treated with antibiotics (medicine that kills bacteria).

Should I be afraid of anthrax?
Anthrax is very rare. In the fall of 2001, few people have been infected with anthrax, when someone uses the letters by e-mail to spread the spores that cause the disease. Although this was scary, very few people fell ill and police have worked very hard to stop such a thing happen again. By accessing the anthrax spores that spread or someone from any contact with the infected animal is very low.

If you’re still worried about anthrax, remember that you, your family and your friends will probably never need to anthrax spores. Talk to the teacher or parent can make you feel better and give you the answers to other questions on anthrax.

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