[Carry_Okie]

Given that anthrax spores are ubiqutious and persistent, isn't it likely that most rural populations possess at least some antibody to this disease? Is there evidence of background exposure prompting such a response? Is there any indication that antibody of this nature is effective in suppressing low-dose infections?

Just curious.

[bonesmccoy]

You might be right, but the animals would have to have it around. My understanding (and I'm not a vet and I don't practice in rural America) is that most US farmers would not be exposed to this.

Inhalational anthrax is called Woolsorter's Disease because the British livestock handlers would pick up this germ from the wool.

A few years ago I attempted to locate a stockpile of the Anthrax Vaccine (when Clinton kept shooting his mouth off about this threat with NO PLANS in place to address it).

I couldn't get it. The company refused to release it to me because of the priority for the Gulf. Oh well. I see the need to protect the military first, but my calls to local politicians went unresponded. Now, just like missile defense, we're all sitting ducks.

Stupid isn't it? We could have immunized these people years ago. But, the US has only ONE SUPPLIER of vaccine and rumor has it that the FDA SHUT DOWN the vaccine supplier last year (because they claimed the production line wasn't up to their newest standard (passed in 1999?)) Beats me what the technical specs are ... but the suits closed down the line last year.

So DOD had to slow down immunization of US armed forces (because the stockpile was so low).

As you can tell, I tend to blame Clinton for alot.