Anthrax Can Reproduce in Soil Without Host Animal

Feb. 15, 2004

SEATTLE, United States (AFP) - Anthrax bacteria can reproduce in soil, without an animal host as previously thought, a scientist said.

Best Free Software Online
An expert scours the Web for the best free software around-- but beware the hidden cost of freebies.

The spores can germinate more easily in warm-blooded creatures, including humans, but Philip Hanna, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (news - web sites), said that soil and water would do.

"All stages of the anthrax life cycle were found to occur in soil, including germination of spores, bacterial reproduction and formation of new spores," the University of Michigan biologist said.

"Our research demonstrates that anthrax can complete its full life cycle without a mammalian host.

"The spores germinated and continued to replicate until they ran out of nutrients in the soil. At that point, the bacteria formed new spores and became dormant.

"In every case, we ended up with more spores than we added to the original soil samples."

In the weeks following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the United States was hit by a series of letters containing live anthrax bacilli, which infected some 20 people and killed five, mostly in postal centers.

"My findings are no advances for the practical use of making anthrax spores," Hanna said.

"The technological jump comes not from the bacteria but from the amount of knowledge needed for making anthrax spores static free, dry and dispersable," he said.

"Whether terrorists are thinking about what I do, I can only say I hope not."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/us_health_anthrax