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Anthrax Anthrax, a
severe infectious disease, is caused by a bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. Most animals with
anthrax die suddenly with few or no symptoms of disease. Animals get the disease by eating
infected grass or carcasses or by inhaling contaminated dust.
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In Etosha, elephants engage in a seemingly harmless behavior that puts them at deadly risk
of anthrax infection. To protect themselves from the heat and ward off insects, elephants
cover themselves with dirt. While peforming this activity, elephants sometimes ingest
anthrax, which can lay dormant in the dust for long periods of time. Not long after it
enters the bloodstream, anthrax comes to life, and the infected elephant's life comes to
an end. |
