Anthrax Essay Research Paper ANTHRAX AS A

Anthrax Essay, Research Paper

ANTHRAX AS A BIOLOGICAL WEAPON

An Overview of Biological Warfare

The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of biological warfare and it s agents. The main focus will be on Anthrax bacteria as a biological weapon and the effects it has on the bodily functions.

A History of Biological Warfare

Before we get into the various aspects of Biological warfare it is important to understand exactly what it is. According to the website designed by students in Chem 450 at Cal Poly (www.calpoly.edu/ drjones/chemwarf.html) Biological Warfare is the use of disease to harm or kill an adversary s military forces, population, food, and livestock. This includes any living (non-living virus) microorganism or bioactive substance that is produced by a microorganism and can be delivered by conventional warhead or civilian means. The use of Biological Warfare has been documented as early as 1346, at Kaffa the bodies of plague infested Tartars were thrown over the walls of the besieged city. The greatest advancements in biological warfare have come in the 20th century, starting just prior to WWI. Although most of the advanced countries were experimenting and developing biological agents for use as weapons, there were two documented tests that helped open the eyes of the world to the threat of biological weapons.

At the end of WW II Britain was conducting extensive tests on anthrax bacteria and its effective infecting range when delivered with a conventional warhead. The military decided to conduct tests on Gruinard Island. The isolated island was located far off the coast of Scotland and was thought to be a good spot to test while avoiding any contamination of the mainland. The experiments were conducted and shortly thereafter sheep and cattle started dying from the disease on the mainland. The authorities tried to decontaminate the island by setting fires and bleaching it, unfortunately the measures were ineffective. The spores embedded themselves in the soil and as a result decontamination was impossible. There are still minor outbreaks on the coast of Scotland when birds returning from the island transmit the disease to livestock. Another outbreak of Anthrax occurred in the former Soviet Union in 1979. After an accident at a research facility, a large outbreak of Anthrax was reported in the countryside, downwind of the plant.

Until this point the Soviets were not known to have an extensive bio-warfare program. This triggered the Western countries and it s allies to start upgrading their defensive capabilities (www.calpoly.edu/ drjones/chemwarf.html). Throughout history there have been many other incidences where biological weapons have been tested or used on the general population. The majority of these cases have occurred in the past 75 years. The threat of biological warfare is no longer a far-fetched fantasy, it is a reality.

Anthrax

Bacillus anthracis is a naturally occurring spore forming bacteria. It is this bacterium that is responsible for the various forms of Anthrax found in both humans and animals. Bacillus anthracis has a protective protein coat that allows it to survive for decades at a time where ever it may be found, e.g. soil, air, or in a laboratory. Once inside the body the bacteria have an incubation period of 1 to 6 days. There are three types of anthrax humans can get, cutaneous anthrax, inhalation anthrax, and gastrointestinal anthrax.

Cutaneous anthrax is the result of the bacterium entering the body through a break in the skin layer. The symptoms of cutaneous anthrax may vary slightly from case to case but the most common sign of infection is an itchy bump at the site of infection. The sore continues to grow until it is roughly 2-3 cm in diameter with the center portion decaying into black tissue. Cutaneous anthrax is usually treated successfully with antibiotics, according to Science magazine only 15% of reported cases have resulted in death.

Gastrointestinal anthrax occurs when a human consumes the meat of an infected animal. Symptoms start to show within 8-10 hours; they range from mild stomach discomfort to severe diarrhea, fever and vomiting of blood. Gastrointestinal anthrax is the rarest form of the disease because infected livestock will usually perish before they are used for consumption.

The survival rate depends on how early the infection is diagnosed. Antibiotics are the most effective treatment, death results in 25%-60% of cases (Arnot Ogden Medical Center).

Inhalation anthrax is the deadliest form of anthrax known to man, it is this form of anthrax that is most likely to be utilized in a bio-weapons attack.

Inhalation anthrax occurs when a person inhales the bacillus anthracis spores into their lungs. The bacterium then travels to the lymph nodes and begins multiplying. Once in the lymph nodes the bacterium will spread through the entire body and the lungs are the first vital organs to succumb to the toxins produced by the bacteria. The toxins will cause bleeding in the lungs and they fill up with fluid very rapidly, death can result in as little as 24 hrs. It is extremely important to note that it is the toxins produced by the bacteria that play the largest role in destroying the body. Toward the final stages of the disease the amount of toxin in the blood stream is almost the same as the concentration