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Article: Bacillus anthracis Fires Arsenal Of Toxic Factors At Immune System, Leaving Dendritic Cells In Tatters.
- Article from:
- BIOWORLD Today
- Article date:
- November 4, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 A Thomson Healthcare Company. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Science Editor
Anthrax poses a clear and present danger as an agent of biological terrorism. Among suspected weapons of mass infection are a double-handful of viral, bacterial and chemical toxins, namely, anthrax, smallpox, botulinum, Hantaan, Ebola, bubonic plague, ricin and sarin.
Late in 2001, it took less than a teaspoonful of an unfamiliar powder, mailed in sealed envelopes, to kill five U.S. citizens, critically infect eight others and discombobulate the U.S. Senate and postal service. That powdery content had all the earmarks of anthrax spores (Bacillus anthracis).
Those spores can lie dormant in soil or animal debris for long periods, ...