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My disease of study is Anthrax, also known as Bacillus anthracis. It is a bacterial disease caught from contact through an animal that is infected or by inhaling spores.

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Anthrax was originally seen in 700 B.C. in Egypt and Mesopotamia, and scholars think it was the infection in the fifth great plague. The bacteria that causes anthrax is Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax disease is known as a zoonotic disease which means it can be transferred between animals and humans.

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Anthrax is most common in developing countries and countries who don't have veterinary public health. Anthrax is most prevalent in South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Anthrax is hypothesized to bee first seen in 700 B.C. in egypt and mesopotamia, but the first ever description was in 1752. There is no info on the total amount of cases of anthrax, but it is estimated that 2000 people contract anthrax per year.

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Virulence is the harm done by a pathogen to the host following infection. Anthrax has 3 different paths of virulence based on how the bacteria entered, and 2 are fatal. For example, unless treated if you inhale anthrax it is deadly in up to 90% of people. Anthrax's virulence has not increased or decreased over time.

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At first, in 1881 researchers tested an anthrax vaccine on animals and they all survived. Then, Penicillin became the staple to treat Anthrax in 1944, but was quickly changed to a different vaccine that is 92% effective in preventing anthrax in the 1950's. After 20 years we developed another vaccine that replaced the old one. The only new technology applied to anthrax was to be used as biological warfare in ww1 and an attack in the U.S in 2001.

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Governments didnt do much about the spread of anthrax except for documenting it and hiring scientists to find a vaccine/cure. Except when someone used anthreax as a biological weapon in an attack in 2001 where the FBI and the US postal inspection teamed up. That said, there werent many innovative ways to combat anthrax other than vaccines. Government bodies should have warned people about anthrax and how to cure it from animals and people.

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Anthrax had a big impact on both society and farmers. Farmers had to be more warry of anthrax and keep an eye out for their animals. Society was also affected due to anthrax being used as bio-weapons and the attacks in 2001. Society became anxious about Anthrax and how people could use it for bad. Society did "learn" from the effects of Anthrax. Governments realized they need to be able to do rapid diagnostics of new diseases.

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The most revealing aspect about anthrax is that it can change form into spore form so it is harder to kill in the soil and infects passing animals. It surprised me to know that anthrax was used as a biological weapon against the U.S. in 2001. I think that the longevity of the disease in the environment would be a good question to ask. Anthrax for example, can survive in the environment in its spore form decades in the soil before an animal comes by and contracts it.