i'm sure by now everyone has heard of the first anthrax death in 25 years in this country. what concerned me was the radio report that one can "catch" anthrax from goats. we have some pgymy goats we were planning to slaughter and eat, but now, i don't know. any thoughts on that? or can anyone elaborate about which part of the goat contains the spores for anthrax? i didn't catch the entire report on NPR. thanks

-- jeannie (mmp@theofficenet.com), October 07, 2001

Answers

If your animals are healthy, don't worry about it. Animals can have all kinds of diseases, a lot them that people can catch, but if your animals are not sick, don't be concerned. You are talking about ONE person who got Anthrax from an UNKNOWN source, and he's the first one to get this type in 25 YEARS! We're talking something extremely rare with this.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), October 07, 2001.

This should not be a major concern about your farm animals. As stated if they are healthy, it should be OK to eat them.

A disinformation campaign on biological weapons, with a focus on anthrax, has been waged by the bureaucrats to promote militarization and increased police powers. Do not believe most of what you read and hear. It is hard to effectively "weaponize" deadly bugs such as anthrax – which is not contagious, as many assume.

Most toxins, including anthrax, are not contagious.

The Florida man died of pulmonary anthrax, caused by inhalation of anthrax spores, causes severe lung inflammation that can be fatal in 18 to 48 hours if untreated with large amounts of antibiotics.

Only 18 inhalation cases in the United States were documented in the 20th century, the most recent in 1976 in California. The last anthrax case in Florida was in 1974, according to the state health department. Last year a man died in the United States of cutaneous anthrax. That infection begins in the skin and is the most common way humans become infected with the bacteria.

-- Joe (CactusJoe001@AOL.com), October 07, 2001.

I am so MAD that the media had the audacity to state such a claim without previous checking. Its another chink in the mess with goats eating tin cans mentatility. I say "BullShip!" I will however do some research and get back to you. We were alerted to this total ludicrous story from someone who was watching Fox or CNN at 2AM and the reporter said you could catch it from the hair in goats. GREAT.... as if we don't have enough to be concerned with as far as raising goats and livestock. I'm mad because we have to jump hoops that the cattle industry doesn't because we can't unite enough to lobby to disspell such misnomers. Not to mention the expense we have to shell out of pocket to prove out animals are healthy and the numerous programs we have to be involved in to stay in business. I am so sick and tired of this crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If goats are carriers of anthrax then I'd be dead by now as would Vicki and the many others with goats on this board! Now, i am going to do some research, count to 10 and be back later with more information. this is so disguesting!

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), October 07, 2001.

Well, my first hudband was a survivalist back in the 70's ..a real Randy Weaver type...and I read up on ALL his scarey propaganda and following are some facts...There have been more than just a couple of cases in this country-more like 20 -30 in the last 50 years- and the occupational history of the patient is one of the most important diagnostic tools- get this- most cases have been in NEW to to the craft hobby-weavers who were handling imported, unprocessed wools- the second most common type is in hunters, who aquire a cutaneous, rarely fatal case when they handle infected carcasses/eat underccoked meat-and the 3rd most common scenario is someone traveling overseas in very primitive areas, who spends a LOT of time around ruminants which may not be in good shape or may be in infected areas and who hasn't been vaccinated. Such as missionaries, etc. I live a few miles from the dead mans home. People at work were thronging to me, because on September 11 I told my coworkers I had known this day would come, which is why I left Washington DC where my children and I were born and I was raised. They were buzzing with the belief it MUST be bioterrorism because he lived under the flight path of the airport where one of the terrorists flew a small plane. Well, so do about 5,000 other people-none of whom have come down with anthrax. They all know me as a cautious type, someone who crimps her wheels to one side when stopped at a rail road crossing lest someone plow into me from behind and push me into the train, so I guess they figured that if I'm not alarmed there must be nothing to be alarmed about. I don't think you have anything to be worried about if you are handling processed wools or eating inspected meat, I think your only cause for concern is if you are buying land where someone couldn't make a go of it 20 or 40 years ago because his animals sickedned and died...

-- Mitzi Giles (Egiles2@prodigy.net), October 07, 2001.

Mitzi...... explain vaccine, you mentioned from animals that were not vaccinated in countries overseas? Where did you obtain that information from? So if what you are saying is correct then there is a vaccine for anthrax and our great animal scientists have not informed us.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), October 07, 2001.

Joe, could you give us more information. We had 3 cases of Anthrax this year just 40 miles north of me. The family that had eaten of one of the animals had to undergo a vaccination. Also the nurses that I work with question if it's contagous since proper nursing procedure require masks, gowns and gloves. I admit to being very confussed.

-- Del (dgrinolds@gvtel.com), October 08, 2001.

Sure there is a vacine and its given to large numbers of cattle every year.

I'll give you my $0.02 but you should speak to you vet. if you are worried, hell their're the qualified ones.

The reason that it use in bio war fair is that it can be manufacture easly and stored easly in canisters. To catch it, you need to breath it in and LOTS of it centers (cities) eatin an anamal in unlike ly to giv it to you even if that anamal died from it. it would pass right through you! you need to breath it not eat it.

In eurpoe the fear of anthrax is not the desease but the crash in the value of you land if it was found on you farm.

usualy the first symtoms in animans is suddden un explained death.

Julian

-- Julian (Julian_young@nl.compuware.com), October 08, 2001.

Del, anthrax is cause by a bacteria and is not generally considered contagious like a viral disease.

As stated cutaneous anthrax is the most common form. It is a disease that affects mostly farm animals; humans acquire it through a break in the skin when in direct contact with animals.

Anthrax is caused by the bacterium bacillus anthracis. It is a disease of sheep, cattle, horses, goats, and swine. Human infection, though rare is an occupational disease of farm workers, veterinarians, and tannery and wool workers. The disease has a skin form (cutaneous anthrax) and a pulmonary form (Pulmonary anthrax, sometimes called inhalation anthrax).

Cutaneous anthrax is transmitted through a break in the skin. Infection produces a localized skin lesion with tissue death resulting in black sores. From the localized lesion infection may spread through the bloodstream and cause sweating, fever, chills, shock, cyanosis, and collapse.

A vaccination is available for people who work around animals

-- Joe (CactusJoe001@AOL.com), October 08, 2001.

Thanks for the information,Joe. I live in a very rural area and we have had Anthrax in the region two summers in a row. Scary!!

-- Del (dgrinolds@gvtel.com), October 08, 2001.

There are three forms of anthrax: inhalational, which is caused by inhaling spores and is almost always fatal if not treated *before* symptoms show up (also known as woolsorter's disease, because it was an occupational hazard of people working with wool); cutaneous, caused by contact between broken skin and an infected carcass (seldom fatal if treated promptly, and accounts for most U.S. cases in humans); and intestinal, caused by eating an infected animal, and usually fatal if not treated *before* symptoms arise. There is a LOT of information available about anthrax if you do an internet search.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 08, 2001.

More anthrax scares here in South Florida. Apparently they have found another man who worked at the same place as Bob Stevens did (the gentleman that died from anthrax last week here in South Florida). The name of the business is American Media in Boca Raton, Florida and houses the offices of those affiliated with such tabloids as The National Enquirer, Globe and Star. They have secured the building and are investigating along with testing each employee (about 300) and giving them all preventative antibiotics. So far they have found only one other man who was found to have traces of anthrax spores in his nasal passages and they also foung anthrax spores on Bob Steven's computer keyboard. The ongoing investigation is being conducted by local authorities as well as the FBI.

Although they have stated that Bob Steven's was an avid outdoorsman, they still have not determined the origin of the anthrax spores that killed him. The same goes for the second gentleman (whos name has not been released), and what about the computer keyboard? It is my understanding that they are doing a complete investigation of his place of business ans his home. No word yet on any traces of the anthrax spores in his home.

What do you make of it all?

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), October 08, 2001.

Have to wait and see. I guess they only tested that one man yet, because he'd been in the hospital a few days ago with pneumonia. It will be several days before they have results back on the other people who worked in or visited the building. They are calling everyone in for antibiotics and vaccine -- CDC still says don't panic, but sounds like their interview on TV was basically panic control and didn't really give out any information.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 08, 2001.

I did my research and found that its a little more involved than I wanted to read. I will post the information in a bit after I milk. My biggest concern right now is the reactions of many who may decide to really place a crunch on our agricultural industry and we end up like the UK, slaughtering animals. It scares me because farming is our livelyhood and besides, I happen to LOVE my goats too.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), October 08, 2001.

you know, I have never heard of the word before and I lived oversees for years, traveled in eastern block countries and raise sheep, cattle, horses here in the USA. I guess I will have to do a internet search. Why would terrist use this disease if it doesn't spread. I thought it acted like a flu (CNN this morning) and you get over it. It was rare to die. At least I hope.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), October 09, 2001.