By Brett Kaufman
Psychology
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What is Anthrax? According The Anthrax Rules, 2004, anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore forming bacterium Baccillus anthracis. This bacteria is usually found in soil, which can be inactive for thousands of years; however the anthrax bacteria is very difficult to find (Anthrax Rules, 2004). Anthrax usually occurs in wild and domestic Animals, but mostly in sheep, goats, cattle, and horses, but it can also come in contact with humans when they are exposed to infected animals or tissue from infected animals (Disease, 2003).
What is the Life Cycle of Anthrax? Anthrax starts out as Baccillus Anthracis. This cells then form into a spore that is 3 microns in diameter. (The size of a human hair is 25 microns) These spores are called endospores and are considered to be the most enduring and resilient of all resting cells in nature. (The size of a human hair is 25 microns) Endospores are very tiny and can fit through almost anything. That is how they escaped through sealed envelopes of mail. The spore is an important stage in the life of this particular bacteria because it remains inactive for thousands of years until their is a change in its natural environment, once their environment has been altered, the spore begins to germinate (The Anthrax Rules, 2004). An example of this would be decomposition from an infected animal that would later be exposed to oxygen. Being exposed to oxygen is a significant change in the bacteria's natural environment that can cause the spores to begin to germinate. However, after the anthrax spores have entered the body, they turn back into the bacteria stage and begin to rapidly release their deadly toxins into the blood stream (The Anthrax Rules, 2004).
How is Anthrax Transmitted? Anthrax is transmitted to humans in three main ways, through inhalation, through open cuts or abrasions, and through ingestion and each affect the body in different ways. Most of the time, if detected early enough, anthrax can be cured. However, most of the time it is not detected early enough; therefore, it cannot be properly treated which leads to fatality (Disease, 2003).
~ After anthrax has been inhaled the first symptoms resemble a cold. This is a reason why anthrax often goes undetected is because the first initial symptoms are un alarming. Once the cold symptoms start to appear, the person begins to have severe breathing problems and then shock. When anthrax is inhaled, the results are usually fatal (Disease, 2003). However, if the problem is detected early enough, it can be treated through extensive antimicrobial agents. Most people die from inhalation of anthrax because people usually are unaware that the symptoms that they are experiencing are alarming and need serious medical attention.
~ This is the most popular way that anthrax enters the body. "About 95% of anthrax infections occur when the bacterium enters a cut or abrasion on the skin" (Disease, 2003). People who are infected with anthrax through cuts or abrasions on the skin have usually handled contaminated wool, hides, leather, or hair products of infected animals. After the bacterium has entered through the skin, the skin will start to form a raised itchy bump. However, after one –two days the bump turns into a fluid filled vesicle and then a painless ulcer, with a black center. Lymph glands may also start to swell. If left untreated, it can turn fatal, but most of the time, it is treated with antimicrobial therapy (Disease, 2003).
~ Anthrax is usually ingestion from eating contaminated food. Once ingested, the initial symptoms are nausea, vomiting, and fever. Once the fever has arrived, vomiting blood, severe abdominal pain and severe diarrhea follow. Intestinal anthrax is usually 25-60% fatal if left untreated (Disease, 2003).
How Does Anthrax Work Once it enters the Body? Anthrax is not contagious. The person or animal only gets sick if "incredibly hardy spores enter the body" (Young and Collier, 2002). Once these "hardy spores" enter the body, they quickly being to divide. The anthrax spores reach deep into the blood and then begin to break down the bodies own defense mechanisms against bacteria infections. The spores rapidly replicate in the blood, which quickly kills the bodies defense mechanisms. Because of this rapid replication, the bacteria quickly takes over the body and as a result, the body has nothing left to protect itself. The way that anthrax rapidly takes over the bodies immune system is very similar to HIV (Young and Collier, 2002). The Anthrax toxin has recently been found to play a direct roll in the "mortal illness" (Young and Collier, 2002). Researchers have found that even without the presence of the anthrax bacteria, the toxin alone can kill animals (Young and Collier, 2002).
Is there a Treatment for Anthrax? There is one main treatment for anthrax if it is inhaled or entered into the body through cuts or abrasions. This treatment is an antimicrobial treatment. This treatment needs to be applied extensively and at the first detection of the bacteria. This treatment has to be used extensively because of the spores ability to become resistant to the treatment. The names of theses antibiotic treatments include penicillin, tetracycline's, and cipo. This form of treatment is only effective if it is administered before the bacteria infects the lymph nodes. (The anthrax rules, 2004). Researchers have also recently developed an anthrax vaccine and it has been proven to be very effective. However, the vaccine is only available in minimum quantities and it is only administered to people who work have a high risk of coming in contact with anthrax like veterinarians, military personnel, lab workers, etc. When people receive the vaccine, they have to be given the shot at two weeks, four weeks and at 6, 12, and 18 months in order for the vaccine to be preventative. This is a major problem with the vaccine because it takes over a year to actually be immune to the bacteria and it does not provide absolute immunity to anthrax. The vaccine may not protect you against a high dosage of spores. One other problem with this vaccine is that it has only been effective for cutaneous anthrax. It has not been researched enough for the protection against inhalation of the spores (Anthrax as a Weapon of Terrorism and Difficulties Presented in Response to its Use).
Article: Anthrax Outbreak Hits Animal Preserves This article was found on MSNBC. According to the Herald newspaper, as cited in anthrax outbreak, the deadly outbreak of anthrax occurred in the gigantic, unpopulated Gonarezhou National park in Harre, Zimbabwe. Most of the big game animals like rhinoceros's and buffalo's were already vaccinated against the disease, but 1,400 smaller animals who were not vaccinated were killed from this outbreak. The main reason for this outbreak which was suggested by Dr. Hargreaves, as cited in Anthrax Outbreak, 2004, was due to the anthrax spore's ability to live in dry soil for decades and since the outbreak happened during the driest months of the year, the animals were trying to find vegetation in the soil. When the animals stirred up the dry soil, they disturbed the anthrax bacteria and the spores were ingested by the animals. This outbreak was the largest in wildlife history (Anthrax Outbreak, 2004).
What is Biological Warfare? "Biological Warfare is the intentional use of viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms or toxins that are derived from a living organism to cause death or disease to humans, plants or animals" (SEMP Suburban Emergency Mgmt Project - GLOSSARY B). According to the Canadian Security and Intelligence Program, 2000, biological warfare is most popular because of its lethality. Biological warfare can be more lethal than some weapons of mass destruction. Livingstone 1982, as cited in Canadian Security Intelligence Program, 2000, found that " a US Army general in 1960 is reported to have estimated that just two aircraft, each carrying 10,000 pounds of biological agents over the US, could kill or incapacitate some 60 million Americans". Anthrax is thought to be one of the most lethal substances used for biological warfare. "If its spores were distributed appropriately, a single gram would be sufficient to kill more than one-third of the population of the US" ( Kupperman and Smith, 1993 as cited in Chemical and Biological Terrorism).
How is Anthrax used as Biological Warfare? Anthrax is/has been used as a method of biological warfare by contaminating animals with the bacteria or by releasing the spores into the air. Iraq, Russia, and Korea are just a few of the other ten nations that have the means to put anthrax spores into weapons in order to be released into the air (Anthrax Rules, 2004). "Anthrax spores can be killed by steam sterilization, boiling for no longer than 30 minutes or burning" (Anthrax rules, 2004). What is the History of Anthrax in Biological Warfare? The first known use of Anthrax as biological warfare was WWI. Anthrax was used to contaminated livestock and transportation animals. The only problem with this accusation is that throughout WWI, the use of anthrax has never been documented, it has only been assumed. In WWII, more time was put into researching the bacteria that causes anthrax. While no documents of anthrax use were reported in WWII, it was found to have been tested on animals and prisoners (Anthrax as a weapon). Because more time was put into researching and testing anthrax during WWII, after this era, "anthrax was perfected as an agent of human destruction. The British and the Americans were the first to develop a delivery system for anthrax" (Bioterrorism). This delivery system was constructed at the Crane Naval Air Station in Southern Indiana in 1941. They decided to put to test this delivery system of anthrax in 1942 on Guinard island, which is off the coast of Scotland (Bioterrorism). The United Kingdom made cattle cakes "spiked" with anthrax to get revenge on the Nazis, just in case the Nazis would use biological weapons (a Supposition - Anthrax - What is Anthrax - Bacillus anthracis - Anthrax Rules - September 11th - WTC - Sahar ). All of the sheep who were in the experiment died within 72 hours and all of the other sheep who lived on the island, died shortly after (Bioterrorism). After this lethal experiment, the island was banned from human use for fifty years due to contamination. Many people still question about whether it is safe even today (Anthrax Rules, 2004).
How Can Anthrax get in Mail? Unfortunately, there is no clear evidence of how anthrax exactly gets into mail. One of the possibilities that scientists have come up with is that in order for anthrax to get into mail, the mail has to come in contact with the anthrax bacteria spores. This could happen through processing, sorting, and delivering of the mail (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003). A few precautions that should be taken if there is a suspicion is:
What is Being Done to prevent Anthrax as means of Biological Warfare? Unfortunately there is not much that can be done to prevent an anthrax attack. The only thing that society can do is to be ready for it. The number one thing that is being done to prevent anthrax is the anthrax vaccine. However, it it not necessary for everyone to have this vaccine and the supplies are extremely limited. Even though prevention techniques are still in need of research, scientists are working on developing instrument that can detect anthrax in the air. Because anthrax is the most fatal by inhalation, these instruments will be able to detect and separate disease causing pathogens from the un harmful, naturally occurring ones (Young & Collier, 2002). "Most of the tools being investigated work by detecting unique molecules on the surface of the pathogens of interest or by picking out stretches of DNA found only on these organisms" (Young & Collier, 2002). One of the main problems with anthrax is its secrecy. Most people, if infected, do not even know that they have been infected. In order for victims of anthrax to survive, they need to seek help immediately! Anthrax can be treated, but only if it is caught in the first detection. Because Anthrax used in biological warfare is becoming more prevalent, more research is being done to help protect people and animals from this deadly disease.
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