Why is anthrax used for biological warfare and bio-terrorists?
The reason is the spores are very easy to store for long periods of time. The spores will survive and be infective for many decades and can thus be stored in weapons of various sorts. Also, the spores retain their ability to produce disease indefinitely. The spores can also be spread easily by aerosol methods over large areas. Anthrax has been around in the California environment for thousands to millions of years and will probably continue to exist in nature. Agricultural activities in California have greatly decreased the risk of anthrax over the last century. Remember, this organism thrives in situations of alternating floods and droughts. By leveling land, controlling floods, and using irrigation we have limited the areas at risk for anthrax. This is just another public health benefit of modern agricultural practices.
