How far from a city?

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So if indeed Anthrax was unleashed on a metropolitan area, How far would you need to be away from that city to be safe from anthrax? Anyone have any answers to this? Obviously the wind will carry this stuff, but how far?

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littleBit@compworldnet.com), October 02, 2001

Answers

Good question, don't know the answer. All the info I looked at said "downwind from a metropolitan area". I do not pretend to know a blessed thing about air currents, etc....maybe somebody here does????

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), October 02, 2001.

I really don't think they know, since it has never been spread by the "crop duster" method. I know that on a windy day there is a significant drift of spray from the crop dusters, which is why you don't see them doing it on a windy day.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), October 02, 2001.

There is no way to say. There are so many variables that it could be anywhere from 1 mile to 1,000. Humidity level, weight of the spores, the lift of the current, temperatures, and terrain all affect the distance that something can travel in the air. There was some report earlier this year that this dust we were experiencing here came from Africa, but I find it hard to conceive of any rapid spread occuring at any distance based on air distribution alone unless it is done at high altitudes and then you have to know what temps the spores will remain viable in.

I highly doubt that is helpful!

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), October 02, 2001.


Maybe the anthrax will not be targeted at our cities. Contaminating feedlots and stockyards with be a more efficient vector......

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), October 03, 2001.

Doggone it Laura, now you done it . . . now how am going to eat my steaks, chops and hamburger and wonder if it hasn't been contaminated? To hell with it. . . I would rather die than go veggie!

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), October 03, 2001.


But can anthrax be transmitted by infected cows? Anthrax is not contagious between humans.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), October 05, 2001.

One of the three types of anthrax is caused by eating meat from animals who have anthrax, so, yes, you can get it that way. Those of us with stock had better be looking up the symptoms in animals as well as in people, I guess, and the rest of you, either stock up on meat NOW before it has time to get into the food supply, or get your own breeding animals (I can't see terrorists infecting every single farm in this country).

Hate to be so alarmist, but better safe than sorry.

Kathleen

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 06, 2001.


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