Anthrax as a Bioterrorism Agent
Anthrax as a Bioterrorism Agent
Diamond Workman
NSGD 209 Infectious Disease
27 November 2012
ANTHRAX: THE SILENT KILLER
In today’s society the threat of bioterrorism is ever present. With recent attacks on US soil it brings the threat and fear to the forefront of the mind. This brings up questions that each and everyone has to answer. These questions consist of what agents are out there? Where they come from? The potential these agents have for mass destruction? What methods of detection are there available, if any? How to prioritize emergency responses? Perhaps most importantly how to prevent such outbreaks. Throughout history there has been various agents that cause mass destruction. Some of these agents are weapons and others are biological. Weapons can bring immediate destruction and cause widespread fear. However, biological weapons are not always easily detected and can cause extreme longterm destruction. It was common practice in days of old to poison food or water supplies. Today terrorists use the same practices and have evolved into aerosol attacks as well. Anthrax is a potential biological weapon. Anthrax is a naturally occurring bacteria; Bacillus anthracis, that can be found in the soil. However the spores stay in the soil and therefore is usually not fatal to humans. Recently anthrax can be made in a laboratory. C.J. Davaine was the first to identify the causative agent of anthrax in 1863 and a pure culture was developed by Robert Koch in 1876. Anthrax is common among many mammalian species such as cows, antelopes, sheep, goats, and camels. Humans can be affected when handling the hide of infected animals. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC) this disease is highly virulent and contagious. There have been descriptions of anthrax throughout antiquity with the earliest incident recorded by the Roman poet Virgil. Virgil’s description of the Black Bane is were 60,000 cattle died in the
Diamond Workman
NSGD 209 Infectious Disease
27 November 2012
ANTHRAX: THE SILENT KILLER
In today’s society the threat of bioterrorism is ever present. With recent attacks on US soil it brings the threat and fear to the forefront of the mind. This brings up questions that each and everyone has to answer. These questions consist of what agents are out there? Where they come from? The potential these agents have for mass destruction? What methods of detection are there available, if any? How to prioritize emergency responses? Perhaps most importantly how to prevent such outbreaks. Throughout history there has been various agents that cause mass destruction. Some of these agents are weapons and others are biological. Weapons can bring immediate destruction and cause widespread fear. However, biological weapons are not always easily detected and can cause extreme longterm destruction. It was common practice in days of old to poison food or water supplies. Today terrorists use the same practices and have evolved into aerosol attacks as well. Anthrax is a potential biological weapon. Anthrax is a naturally occurring bacteria; Bacillus anthracis, that can be found in the soil. However the spores stay in the soil and therefore is usually not fatal to humans. Recently anthrax can be made in a laboratory. C.J. Davaine was the first to identify the causative agent of anthrax in 1863 and a pure culture was developed by Robert Koch in 1876. Anthrax is common among many mammalian species such as cows, antelopes, sheep, goats, and camels. Humans can be affected when handling the hide of infected animals. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC) this disease is highly virulent and contagious. There have been descriptions of anthrax throughout antiquity with the earliest incident recorded by the Roman poet Virgil. Virgil’s description of the Black Bane is were 60,000 cattle died in the
References: Center of Disease Control. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/faq/ Mayo Clinical. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anthrax/DS00422/DSECTION=tests-and-diagnosis. Medical Dictionary. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Anthrax+meningitis Warrick, J. (February 20, 2010). FBI investigation of 2001 anthrax attacks concluded; U.S. releases details. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/19/AR2010021902369.html World Health Organization. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/anthrax/whoemczdi986text.pdf Zephyrus.com. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.zephyrus.co.uk/anthrax.html