A world-renowned anthrax expert has taught and researched at the University for more than 30 years, and he says Louisiana culture has kept him from bringing his expertise elsewhere.
Martin Hugh-Jones, environmental sciences professor and researcher, recently published new research on anthrax, arguing with many assertions made by the FBI during its investigation of the anthrax letters that caused national scares shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Hugh-Jones said his study of anthrax began long before the chemical became notorious in the United States, but anthrax research became more difficult after the chemical gained national attention.
He said many people incorrectly assume anthrax effects are more dangerous than other common diseases.
“It’s not that lethal,” Hugh-Jones said.
Hugh-Jones, originally from Oxford, England, said his research has allowed him to travel across the world, with visits to arctic territories and Central Asia, but the University has been his research headquarters since 1978.
The department head of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the time was relentlessly recruiting him, and the British government’s reluctance to rehire him led him to accept a job at the University, Hugh-Jones said.
He said he has since stayed in Louisiana because of the state’s culture — especially that of southern Louisiana.
“The food is good, the music is good, there are friendly natives,” Hugh-Jones said. “I can’t think of a place better than southern Louisiana.”
The absence of snow is another benefit of living in the South, the 75-year-old added.
Hugh-Jones’ work with anthrax has included its effects on animals. At the University, he has studied alligators, zebras, fish, frogs and birds, he said. His most recent interests include studying a bison epidemic in Canada.
Hugh-Jones said he has become accustomed to driving hundreds of miles a day and traveling out of the country on a whim while continuing his work as a veterinarian. He has recently spent time in Texas, working at Ted Turner’s ranch.
He said new and interesting questions are always emerging as he studies the chemical that causes problems in countries around the world.
Hugh-Jones’ latest research has been published in the Journal of Bioterrorism and Biodefense, which is accessible online.
 
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Contact Brian Sibille at [email protected]