Anthrax comes in four different clinical forms including: Cutaneous- A skin lesion evolving over two to six days from a papule, through a vesicular stage to a depressed black eschar. Inhalation - a brief prodrome resembling a viral respiratory illness followed by development of hypoxia and dyspnea. Intestinal- severe abdominal distress followed by a fever and signs of septicemia. Oropharyngeal- muscosal is the lesion in the oral cavity or oropharynx cervical adenopathy and edema, and fever.

The symptoms of these four clinical forms are, Cutaneous: Most anthrax infections occur when the bacterium enters a cut or abrasion on the skin such as, when you handle contaminated wool, hides leather, or hair products of infected animals. Skin infection begins as a raised itchy bump that looks something as a large insect bite but within one - two days develops into a vesicle and then a painless ulcer. Lymph glands in the area close may have severe swelling. About twenty % of untreated cases of cutaneous anthrax will eventually result in death. Deaths are rare with ap

Inhalation: initial symptoms may resemble a common cold. After several days, the symptoms may progress to severe breathing problems and shock. Death occurs in 80% to 90% of all cases, and usually occurs 1 - 2 days after the acute symptoms.

Anthrax would most likely be spread in it's deadly form, aerosol, by using low technology delivering systems, such as crop duster airplanes, helicopters, simple garden pump sprayers, and even purse size perfume atomizers. Essentially, the only thing that's different between a crop duster and an anthrax delivery system is what is in the spray tanks.

SYMPTOMS: Additional signs are cervical adenopathy edema, and fever. This form is very rare and the death rate is unknown.

Intestinal: the intestinal disease form of anthrax may follow the consumption of contaminated meat and is characterized by an acute inflammation of the intestinal tract. Initial signs of nausea 3. FORM: Intestinal. The intestinal disease form of anthrax may occur after the consumption of contaminated meat.

4. FORM: Oropharyngeal. This form occurs as a lesion in the oral cavity.

Anthrax is a biological weapon of choice because it is cheap at about $50 per kilogram, and can be spread very quickly. In addition anthrax is very easy to produce compared to larger weapons. One test tube of feed stock can produce a kilogram of anthrax in about ninety-six hours in a fermenter. 80 to 90% of people who get anthrax die, with treatment being highly unlikely. Samples are relatively easy to find because it is a naturally occurring disease throughout the world. Also anthrax is easy to deliver the form of a weapon.

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