// BEGIN editorial data
 var i = 0;
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anthrax_qa_wb3.ID_WB = 5800142;
anthrax_qa_wb3.sPubDate = "9/25/2006 2:38:23 PM GMT";
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anthrax_qa_wb3.appHeader = "Q & A|The anthrax threat";
anthrax_qa_wb3.appFooter = "Sources: Centers for Disease Control; Department of Defense; Univ. of Wis. Bacteriology Department; MSNBC.com research";
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anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","What is anthrax?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by spore-forming bacteria. It most commonly occurs in wild and domestic cattle, sheep, goats, camels, antelopes and other herbivores. Several countries have \"weaponized\" the disease into a highly lethal inhaled form.";

anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","How can I be infected by anthrax?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "Anthrax is a single bacterium but can infect people in three ways. Pulmonary anthrax is contracted from inhaling thousands of tiny spores. Those can germinate in the lungs, spread to chest tissue and produce toxins that enter the bloodstream. This form is usually lethal without quick treatment. Intestinal anthrax most often comes from eating contaminated meat. This form is 25 percent to 60 percent lethal. Cutaneous anthrax is the least lethal and most common form. Infection occurs when bacteria enters an abrasion on the skin.";

anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","What would an anthrax mixture look like?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "Anthrax spores themselves are too small to see. If the spores are mass-produced, then dried, they may resemble a fine power when concentrated. If anthrax were pumped into a building ventilation system and dispersed, it would be undetectable to the eye.";

anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","How would I know if I had it, instead of the flu?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "You might not know. Flu-like symptoms set in one to six days after anthrax is inhaled. Those symptoms may even appear to improve over a few days. Then, suddenly, someone infected would experience difficulty breathing, heavy sweating, blue-colored skin and shock. Death follows in 24-36 hours. Intestinal anthrax causes nausea, loss of appetite, fever, abdominal pain and severe diarrhea. Cutaneous anthrax is easier to spot. At first, it looks like an insect bite, but in one or two days the infection becomes a painless ulcer with a black area in the center.";

anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","Is anthrax contagious?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission. Clothes can be disinfected with a mixture of bleach and water. But anthrax spores can survive in soil, water and other materials for years. Disinfectant doesn't kill them. Contaminated surfaces must be steam-cleaned. Another concern is livestock. In a biological attack, animals such as sheep and cattle could be infected and could potentially transmit the disease to humans.";

anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","How is anthrax treated?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "Inhaled anthrax used to be considered 100 percent lethal, but a U.S. Army study showed infected monkeys could be effectively treated with antibiotic therapy when the therapy began one day after exposure. This implies that humans could be treated with drugs such as ciprofloxacin, but only if they're aware they've been exposed and seek treatment immediately. Other types of anthrax require similar antibiotic therapy.";

anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","Would a gas mask protect me?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "Only custom-fitted gas masks with special filters are effective against inhaled anthrax. Those cost hundreds of dollars and must be worn during exposure to anthrax spores. Many experts have said it's unlikely people would know they are being exposed until it's too late to don a mask.";

anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","Should I take an antibiotic<BR>just in case?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "Ciprofloxacin, or Cipro, does not make people immune to the disease. Taking it may lower one's ability to fight other illnesses and could even hamper doctors from diagnosing an anthrax infection. Federal health officials say they can fly ample supplies of ciprofloxacin to anywhere in the United States within 12 hours of an outbreak.";

anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","What about the vaccine?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "The anthrax vaccine was licensed by the FDA in 1970 for at-risk veterinary and laboratory workers and livestock handlers. The Department of Defense also reserves a stockpile of the vaccine for military use. The military began vaccinating all soldiers on active duty in 1998. The vaccine is effective if started at least four weeks before exposure. It consists of six doses with yearly booster shots. Up to 35 percent of those vaccinated experience rashes, muscle aches, headaches and other flu-like symptoms.";

anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","Why use anthrax as a weapon?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "Anthrax is fairly easy to acquire. It can be stored in dry, powder form and remain potent for decades. With enough expertise, the spores can be dispersed in the air and inhaled by unprotected troops and civilians. Infection from inhaled spores is highly lethal, and spores that are not inhaled remain in the soil for many years. The U.S. military developed a strain of anthrax so lethal, just 8 gallons could kill everyone on earth.";

anthrax_qa_wb3[i++] = new Array("","How hard is it for terrorists<BR>to use anthrax?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
anthrax_qa_wb3[i-1].body = "A terrorist would need detailed knowledge and sophisticated facilities to mass-produce anthrax spores or even find the most potent strains of the bacteria. Only extremely fine, dry anthrax powders can make it to the lungs. And distributing it is difficult. Iraq failed to adapt crop dusters to spread the spores during the Gulf War. The Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo released anthrax ineffectively on several occasions in the 1990s. Anthrax spores are even vulnerable to the sun's ultraviolet rays and weather conditions.";

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