Anthrax

TEXT 1: ANTHRAX

What is anthrax? Anthrax is a bacterial disease that affects grazing animals around the world. The rod-shaped Bacillus anthracis forms tough spores that sit dormant in the soil until an animal swallows or inhales them. What does it do to humans? The skin or cutaneous form of the disease is nasty, but rarely fatal. Inhaling 10,000 or so spores can lead to more serious respiratory anthrax. Ho do you know if youre infected? The incubation period ranges from two days to two months. For respiratory anthrax, the earliest symptoms are flu-like: fever, headache and muscle pains. By the time coughing, painful breathing and tell-tale enlargement of the space under the breastbone permits a doctor to diagnose anthrax, it is usually too late. Why does it kill? The spores invade macrophages, immune cells that normally kill bacteria. Once inside one, they shed their shells, multiply explosively and swarm out into the bloodstream. They keep dividing and producing toxins. Why is anthrax used as a bioweapon? Its tough enough to survive delivery via bombs or shells, easy to grow and has a long shelf life: spores seized from a First World War German spy in Norway were revived after 80 years. And because its not contagious, weapons dont create an epidemic that rebounds on the attacker. (Modified from New Scientist: 27 October 2001: 5)

English for Science and Technology

Anthrax

ORIENTATION Are all bacteria bad? Can you think of good bacteria? LANGUAGE FOCUS 1. The word bioweapon is often used in the passage. The prefix bio is used to combine with the word weapon. What is the meaning of bio? (a) (b) (c) 2. 3. Identify other words in the text that use the prefix bio? Think of other words that begin with the prefix bio? Create a new word that begins with bio.

Enlargement and painful are examples that end with a suffix. Look for other examples in the text that use suffix. Compound words like rod-shaped and bloodstream are used in the text. Look for other examples of compound words in the text. Do you know how compound words are formed and how the meaning is affected?

CONTENT FOCUS 1. 2. 3. 4. How does the anthrax disease affect grazing animals? In what way does anthrax affect the health of human beings? Describe how anthrax disease is spread. Say True (T) or False (F) to the following statements. Give evidence to support your answer. (i) (ii) Anthrax is a virus. The anthrax spores have a short life span.

(iii) The anthrax spores attach themselves to the lungs of human beings. (iv) An anthrax victim will detect a swelling below his ribs in the early part of the attack. (v) 5. One can be easily infected by anthrax by touching an anthrax victim.

In your opinion, is anthrax an effective bioweapon? Give reasons.

English for Science and Technology

Anthrax

FOLLOW-UP 1. Imagine you are a scientist and you have been instructed to develop an antibiotic to counteract the anthrax bacteria. What would you expect your antibiotic to be able to do?

English for Science and Technology