I think you will find that anthrax germs are not all that uncommon in rural environments, maybe not in large concentrations but definitely there, sort of like tetanus. Luckily, it's not that easy for humans to contract the disease, though it can go through cattle and sheep pretty quickly.

They are pretty easy to identify under a microscope, so anyone who finds them in their cellular form wouldn't have any trouble growing them in test tubes. Anthrax, like many forms of bacteria, encapsulates itself in spores under adverse conditions as a method of self-preservation, and it's the spores that are being used to such great effect in the current crisis.

Spores are pretty imprevious to a lot of otherwise hostile conditions, but dry heat, bleach, and radiation all zap them thoroughly.


TEd