Anthrax Cellular Entry Point Uncovered

ScienceDaily reports that scientists have identified the cellular point of entry for anthrax spores. This discovery could go a long way towards providing treatment or preventing infection.

Comments

Common cold

[Enderandrew]

Forgive my ignorance, but I thought the common cold was anything but common. It is a virus with countless strains, each fairly different.

Did I miss something?

[Sorthum]

The site is down, so forgive me if this is in TFA, but can't we treat anthrax with common anti-bacterials?

In fact, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/anthrax_g.htm#What%20is%20the%20treatment%20for%20anthrax confirms this.

So what's the huge deal about using Anthrax as a biological weapon? You'd be about as successful using the Black Plague...

Tidbit

[LilGuy]

My brother-in-law's father is a professor at ISU and worked with a fellow that kept anthrax samples for over 50 years, running diagnostics on samples once a year until 2001. Then the government came in and made him destroy them all. It's pretty ridiculous considering anthrax isn't THAT big of a threat. It is indeed deadly in a sufficient quantity, but in order to ingest the amount needed for lethality you'd just about have to cut up a line and snort it.

Well not quite to that extent but the media did a fine job of playing the other extreme.

Re:Medical Science is getting really interesting..

[calebt3]

Where's the antivirus meds? Viruses have an annoying habit of hiding in cells where treatments can't get to them very well.

9/11 Made America Stupid

[Tablizer]

professor at ISU and worked with a fellow that kept anthrax samples for over 50 years, running diagnostics on samples once a year until 2001. Then the government came in and made him destroy them all. It's pretty ridiculous considering anthrax isn't THAT big of a threat.

Face it, 9/11 made America stupid for 3 years. Even Democrats signed off on torture, we got ourselves into a non-terror-related quagmire, gave up lots of civil rights, and went nuts over things like this. People wonder why Germany citizens let Hitler run amuck, but we had a bit of it ourselves.

Re:9/11 Made America Stupid

[JustOK]

Face it, 9/11 made America stupid for 3 years. Your math is wrong.

Re:Medical Science is getting really interesting..

[nmb3000]

Viruses have an annoying habit of hiding in cells where treatments can't get to them very well.

Well, kill the damn cells then! That will teach them to stop aiding and abetting the dirty viruses!

They'd better learn now that they're either with us or with the disease.