AMERICA has something new to worry about, and it comes in the form of a scentless bacteria that is being sent through the mail. After the closing of the House of Representatives and the death of a Florida man and two D.C. postal workers who contracted anthrax through the mail, the amount of suspicion surrounding this bacteria has gone through the roof. It is causing people to flood their pharmacies in droves, demanding drugs to combat the disease. Although the possibility of an anthrax attack should be noted by the public and should put them on guard, it should not cause American citizens to be needlessly paranoid. There is no need to hoard such medication in preparation for an attack that may never happen. Our country actually is ready for such an attack, and such actions only will increase the hysteria that is already building up.
Anthrax is a potentially fatal disease that occurs due to the bacterium known as Bacillus anthracis. In order for anthrax to spread, the spores that contain the bacterium must either be inhaled into the respiratory tract or let into the blood system. Anthrax has a few notable symptoms, although most of them do not occur for approximately seven days. If anthrax is contracted through the blood, itchy bumps often develop, which turn into ulcers on the skin. If inhaled, anthrax usually induces a heavy cough and eventually sends the victim into shock. Anthrax contracted in this way usually is fatal.
Recently, the threat of anthrax as an agent of biological warfare appears ever more real. It has become a topic of concern for many experts, who say that an aerosol of bacillus anthracis conceivably could kill hundreds of people without the assistance of antibiotics.
Hence, one antibiotic company, Cipro, has made a great deal of sales in the wake of the confusion over anthrax. Claiming to be the only FDA approved antibiotic for inhaled anthrax on their Web site (www.cipropharmacy.com), they have advertised their product to the consumer with phrases such as "be prepared with Cipro" and have emphasized the easiness in which such controlled substances can be obtained. According to this Web site, all a person would have to do would be to fill out an online form detailing his condition, and after some questions were answered, a package of Cipro would be sent to his home. Apparently, it's that easy to get a drug that costs in excess of $80 for a seven-day treatment. This also is alarming considering that it only is being distributed to some as a means of security, and not necessarily to use. Thus, people may be paying excess amounts merely to store the drug.
The reality of this situation is that unless there is an anthrax outbreak in a person's direct area, he or she should not be stockpiling such drugs for a situation that may not even take place. Contrary to what the Cipro Web site says, there actually are three antibiotics that have been approved for use against anthrax (www.fda.gov). The first is ciprofloxacin, and the last two are doxycycline and penicillin. Thus, to store medicine seems rather pointless when there are many drugs that can be used with equal precision in dealing with the same disorder.
The government is finding a variety of ways to deal with this epidemic, and it should be comforting to the American people that our government has done a great deal to solve this problem. Tommy Thompson, the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services, said that drug companies have assured him that there will be enough of the anthrax drugs on hand if an epidemic breaks out. He has also requested that 1.5 billion dollars be used to collect drugs in case of an emergency.
Clearly, there is no problem in terms of the amount of drugs available to cure anthrax in a given area. The American people must realize that their livelihood is assured. Instead of throwing away money on a drug that will be free and plentiful if an anthrax epidemic actually does break out, Americans simply need to stay smart.
Americans should always keep an alertness that is tempered by common sense. Unmarked and suspicious looking packages should be opened with reservations, and the proper authorities should be notified if sense dictates it. However, Americans must put faith in the preparations made for them. Hysteria is the worst kind of epidemic, and it is blinder and less controllable than the anthrax our country is trying to prevent.
(Kevin James Wong is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer).
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